European information infrastructure: Policy themes and challenges

Developing a European information infrastructure (EII) is a necessary pre-requisite to the successful foundation of the information society throughout Europe. If the EII is to be realized through commercial sources then certain core rights (the so-called `platform issues') need to be established. The last decade or so has seen attempts by states (frequently through supranational bodies and associations) to establish these rights across the continent. Despite this, there is still uneven progress which is limiting the development of the EII. Alongside these issues are the more direct policy measures that seek to encourage the development of an EII that more completely supports the notion of a socially-inclusive information society envisaged by European states. The success of policy makers, in terms of achieving this objective, appears to be limited leading to the conclusion that an EII that supports completely the European conception of the information society will remain a longer term objective.