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Visby Declaration: ICT at the heart of a EU strategy for growth and jobs



During a high level conference held in Visby, Sweden, on 9-10 November 2009, the Swedish Presidency of the European Council, the European Commission and ICT industry stakeholders discussed a new ICT agenda for the EU.



The Swedish Minister for Communications, Åsa Torstensson, highlighted the crucial role of the ICT sector for Europe’s future, calling the ICT sector “the lifeblood of the knowledge society".



Both the Minister and EU Commissioner Viviane Reding emphasized the importance of ICT products and services for the transformation of Europe to a knowledge-based society. In a declaration, the conference participants established an agenda aiming at a green knowledge based society.



The “Visby declaration” underlines the need for a “European eco-system for creativity” and a well functioning EU digital single market to boost economic growth and create new jobs. Among other measures, the Visby agenda defines the increased broadband access, the strengthening of ICT skills in the educational sector, the skilling of workers and the establishment of transparent guidelines on net neutrality as key for economic growth and innovation. In general, the debate in Visby showed the need to provide a “green perspective” on ICT and to review the European ICT policy and its use in other policy areas.



UNI europa welcomes the declaration and the objective of a green ICT policy for the EU. The Visby declaration confirms the need for an intense debate about green ICT that UNI europa had already started during its ICT Forum recently held on 28-30 October 2008 in Helsingør, Denmark. Following the debates on the ICT Forum, UNI europa had called upon EU policy-makers to address Green ICT more thoroughly. issue.



For more information on the Visby conference and the declaration, you can visit the following websites:





http://www.se2009.eu/en/meetings_news/2009/11/9/ict_is_the_lifeblood_of_the_knowledge_society

http://www.se2009.eu/polopoly_fs/1.22793!menu/standard/file/conclusions%20visby.pdf



For more information on the ICT Forum and the UNI europa resolution, please visit:

http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/iportal.nsf/pages/homeEn?Opendocument&exURL=http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/UNIMeeting.nsf/0/E300CEC64AC7EDF2C1257568002FDFE8