EuropaWorld 15/6/2001 European Parliament Acts to Bridge Digital Divide

The European Parliament this week called for additional measures to help in combating what has become known as the 'digital divide' - the great and increasing gap between the use made of information technology in rich and poor countries.

According to MEPs by the end of 2001, 700 million people are expected to be on-line with access to the Internet, but at the same time more than two billion people will never have made a telephone call. The European Parliament believes the IT revolution is likely to widen the gap between the industrialised and the developing countries as well as between different social groups, unless more active measures are taken to bring the developing countries into the process.

The use of information technology in developing countries can have a major impact on the fight against poverty in areas such as education, health, environment, rural development and tourism. New technology can also be an effective tool in empowering people, boosting their ability to develop and participate in democracy, create good governance and strengthen human rights.

The Parliament is calling for IT access and improvement to be one of the targeted sectors eligible for support under the new private sector support programme in the European Development Fund.

MEPs have also urged the Commission to create an e-development unit in the Europe Aid co-operation office. This would have the aim of ensuring that information technology remains a key plank of development policy.