At the European Telework Online website

"Telework 1997":
Annual Report from the European Commission

4. Telework and the European Commission

4.1 European policy framework

The European Commission's first interest in telework dates from 1989. Concerns were raised in the context of the Communication Technology research programme RACE, when assessing risks (of exclusion) and opportunities (for decentralisation) arising from the economic impacts of advanced communications on rural areas and remote regions. The strategic analysis performed by DG XIII in liaison with DG VI (Agriculture), as part of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the need to focus on increasing non-agricultural employment in rural areas, identified telework as a key theme.

These considerations led to the launch of the ORA RTD Programme, with a planned synergy with the LEADER I Structural Funds initiative in support of local and rural employment initiatives. It was in this framework that the first research projects with a focus on telework were launched: PATRA (on social and psychological aspects), MITRE (to explore the "business case" for teleworking), and the consensus and awareness raising project SYNERGY (ECTF). Widespread awareness of telework was stimulated in 1993 by a set of explorative research and stimulation actions initiated by the Commission43, linking Europe's transition to an Information Society with the need for greater flexibility in employment.

Starting with the White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness, Employment, the Challenges and Way Forward into the 21st Century, launched in 1993, the European Commission set the priorities for the coming years to prepare Europe for a new form of society: the Information Society. The main concern expressed in the White Paper was work. The enormous growth of an army of unemployed in the Union reinforced the need for a new focus.

Building on the conviction expressed in the White Paper that "the enormous potential for new services relating to production, consumption, culture and leisure activities will create large numbers of new jobs...", a High Level Group, under the Chairmanship of the Commissioner for Industry Mr. Martin Bangemann, recommended to the Council an Action Plan in order to ensure that new jobs will be created in Europe as rapidly as possible. This Action Plan was first adopted in 1994, and identified telework as the first of ten applications to launch the Information Society. It has been recently updated as a "Rolling Action Plan"45, building on the success achieved in liberalisation of the telecommunications sector and in implementing the 4th Framework Programme (1995-98), notably by a large number of support measures for European Research and Technology Development (RTD), especially ACTS (new communications services), ESPRIT (information technology development in the context of changes in business processes), and the Telematics Applications Programme.

These measures are being reinforced by new support opportunities for deployment, such as Trans European (telecommunication) Networks and European structural policies and funds, especially those concerning regional development, training and the adaptation of business structures, and telework is beginning to be seen as an important component of these.

The new Rolling Action Plan identifies four new priorities:

1. Improving the business environment through the application of the internal market principles in the Information society context: Actions will promote the use of new technologies in business, especially in small businesses. New initiatives will bring together actions related to personal satellite communications and measures to enable the rapid and coherent development of electronic commerce.
2. Investing in the future, recognising that the information society starts in the classroom, but must involve life-long learning46, and the need for staying in front with R&D;
3. by putting people at the centre of the information society - as envisioned in the Green Paper published in September 1996 on "Living and Working" in the information society47, and the more recent Green Paper "New Partnership for Work Organisation"48.
4. Finally: a focus on the global context. A first achievement was the successful completion of the multilateral negotiations on basic telecommunications services in the WTO framework.

A major instrument for the implementation of this Action Plan, including a reinforced focus on new ways of working, will be the 5th Framework Programme for RTD, scheduled for the period 1999 to 2002. Strong themes of direct relevance to telework are expected to be incorporated, for example new working practices in the context of flexible, remote and mobile working, and electronic trade. Important here is the need to see RTD well integrated with both national and structural policies at European level (for more information: see in section 5).

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Page last updated: 24 October 1997