Description (short summary):
The first objective of this study report is to illustrate, thanks to the analysis of hundreds of initiatives carried out at the policy, but also at the programme and project level, where and how public intervention has made a clear difference in terms of reducing digital divide in the particular context it has been initiated. The report seeks also to classify the many possible ways for a public authority to design, launch and follow up e-Inclusion policies. It does so through the combination of two main analytical approaches. First, an exhaustive desk study made of the e-Inclusion National reports published by all Member States and of hundreds of published e-Inclusion projects. Second, a thorough and systematic exchange with key stakeholders, representing all EU27 national authorities and some regional practitioners, also including a panel of officials from six General Directorates of the European Commission.

Following on this series of findings, the second part of the report endeavours to offer some observations and practical comments by exploring two important policy making tools, i.e. the role of running and monitoring projects for optimizing the pertinence of policies, and the overarching part played by the Commission for empowering cross-sectoral public intervention, both of these tools being insufficiently recognized and tapped into today.

Finally, the study report puts forward a series of concrete recommendations to the Commission for the post-i2010 European policy on the Information Society.

Number of pages: 171