Full news index

Following the completion of this project this section is no longer being updated.

November - 2003

	7 November 2003 Making IT work harder A new book by researchers at Forum for the Future argues that if managed in the right way, new technologies can promote more sustainable development

October - 2003

	17 October 2003 Powering ahead? - Recommendations in full Taken from the new Forum for the Future report, Powering Ahead?

July - 2003

	11 July 2003 Digital in Venice: the final conference How's this for an experiment? Take 70 people and place them on a small number of islands in a lagoon for two days and then sit back and watch as they meet up - sometimes unintentionally - and share ideas.
	2 July 2003 Government aviation policy must meet key tests Our response to the Government’s consultation on the future for air transport includes a vision for sustainable aviation, and the key tests for a sustainable aviation policy.

June - 2003

	16 June 2003 Getting the balance right - telework and sustainable development What impact can telework have on society and the environment? In an extract from a Digital Europe case study on telework, Britt Jorgensen investigates
	16 June 2003 Networks for inclusion Some policymakers see the internet as an opportunity to promote social inclusion. Vidhya Alakeson considers the issues in this excerpt from a case study with AOL
	10 June 2003 New report: IT can improve environmental impact of business A new report produced by Digital Europe in partnership with Barclays PLC and EMI Group PLC, has found that digital technologies can dramatically reduce pressure on the environment

May - 2003

	30 May 2003 No value without values It’s time for business leaders to come out fighting for what they believe in, concludes new report from BT and Forum for the Future
	22 May 2003 Is ebusiness good business? Findings of MORI survey into ebusiness and sustainable development published

March - 2003

	20 March 2003 Small is not necessarily beautiful As the final theme report on Virtual dematerialisation - ebusiness and factor X is released, Digital Europe's Vidhya Alakeson looks at its findings and discovers that miniature may not mean better
	17 March 2003 New technology impacts on sustainable development Forum for the Future's chapter from the European Information Technology Observatory yearbook 2002 now available to download for free

January - 2003

	31 January 2003 Digital Europe: into the final lap After eighteen months, the Digital Europe project is entering the final stages. The research period is largely complete and the reports are on their way to the European Commission for review. So what now?

November - 2002

	27 November 2002 Samaritans expand their inbox Samaritans launch new service, taking emails from those in emotional distress
	22 November 2002 It simply works better launched in Denmark CSR Europe, the Copenhagen Centre and the Internation Business Leaders Forum publish a response to the heads of states and governments appeal on CSR, March 2000
	22 November 2002 Remember the sweatshop email? Open Policy: threats and opportunities in a wired world
	22 November 2002 B2B key for developing countries New report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
	20 November 2002 Just Values online debate We'd like to ask what you think
	18 November 2002 Beyond the Backlash - where now for the digital economy?

October - 2002

	29 October 2002 Comment: Making Lisbon work - social capital as policy tool Social and human capital are currently hot policy topics. Vidhya Alakeson reports from a conference tackling their impact on the policy community
	25 October 2002 Time to face the experts Vidhya Alakeson reports on the Digital Europe Expert Forum in Brussels
	25 October 2002 Chief Exec of Co-op Bank challenges US businesses on Kyoto The Chief Executive of The Cooperative Bank urged US businesses to help encourage the US to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol this week.
	17 October 2002 Ethics go mainstream Social and environmental performance closely linked to good corporate governance, say fund managers
	16 October 2002 Sharing experience in corporate eSustainability conference A brief summary of the ebusiness and sustainability conference joint hosted by the Confederation of British Industry and Digital Europe research parter, Forum for the Future
	16 October 2002 Charge me Out and about when you find you're mobile's battery is dead? There maybe a solution and even benefits for the homeless.
	15 October 2002 The Lie that won’t Die
	14 October 2002 Interview: The linguistic wardrobe - Prof. David Crystal on language and technology Prof. David Crystal is one of the world's leading linguists. Digital Europe asked him some questions about the role of language and new technologies and learnt how we all have a linguistic wardrobe...

September - 2002

	27 September 2002 China turns away electronic waste Shipment from US returned
	26 September 2002 Rerouting the phone A new report from GESI is published on sustainability performance of ICT industry
	26 September 2002 Comment: Bring, Bring! Mobile phones for recycling James Goodman reports on a new cross-industry scheme for disposing with mobile telephones responsibly and comments on what more needs to be done to make the mobile industry sustainable.
	24 September 2002 New alarm clock may ease morning traffic
	12 September 2002 Comment: the win-win opportunity Vidhya Alakeson outlines the opportunities for businesses who embrace ebusiness and sustainable development (edited from a speech given to the CBI on 12 September)
	11 September 2002 Digital Europe Expert Seminar - 11 October An opportunity to give your views on ebusiness and sustainable development in Brussels this October

August - 2002

	29 August 2002 Speaking the peace
	28 August 2002 Comment: Where's the digital at Johannesburg? ICT was not one of the headline topics at the World Summit Sustainable Development yet, in this article written before the Summit, Vidhya Alakeson argued that IT can and does play an important part in addressing the big issues
	28 August 2002 UK Minister to speak at Digital Europe/CBI event - tickets available UK Minister for eBusiness, Stephen Timms MP is to speak on ebusiness and sustainable development on 12 September - tickets available
	28 August 2002 The ICT 50 who will change the world Information and Communication Technology (ICT) could be an important tool for creating a more sustainable world, according to a new report from WWF.
	5 August 2002 New guide to free ICT software for NGOs Bridges.org introduces new toolbox for free ICT rescources
	1 August 2002 Opinions on E-quality
	1 August 2002 Views on cybersquatting

July - 2002

	25 July 2002 Interview: Kate Oakley - 'Only the most naive person would think that simply putting broadband into rural areas would solve all the problems'
	25 July 2002 Beat obesity: phone a computer
	25 July 2002 Nepal opens up on IT-policy
	25 July 2002 Who makes the decisions?
	25 July 2002 Saved from the Bell
	22 July 2002 Review: Netocracy - the new power elite and life after capitalism Paul Miller reviews a book that sees the rise of a new elite and more barriers to digital inclusion

June - 2002

	25 June 2002 Biomimicry at Eden Anna Browne describes the insights and impact of Janine Benyus on the subject of Biomimicry at the Eden Project.
	24 June 2002 Finding Solutions to Environmental Problems is Worth a Prize What has been the best solution to an environmental problem?
	13 June 2002 EU rules out renegotiation of 3G licences Commission adopts Communication on 3G ahead of Seville
	10 June 2002 Public Sector Information open to re-use and commercial exploitation by business Aims to generate billions of euros currently lost through legal and commercial barriers
	10 June 2002 Ecomms directive under fire by civil liberty groups and industry Business may be put at disadvantage and rights may be infringed
	10 June 2002 Danish study identifies greenest solution to defective electronic products Repair or recycle?

May - 2002

	30 May 2002 Call for funds to deploy broadband in EU's poorest areas The European Commission has called for the disbursement of additional EU and government funds to help finance the development of internet broadband in some of Europe's poorest regions.
	30 May 2002 eEurope 2005 Action Plan presented Successor to eEurope2002 to focus on public services online
	29 May 2002 Interview: 'On the phone you don't have think about where to keep your hands' An Interview with Finland's Arto Karila, mobile telephony guru
	23 May 2002 Review: In the loop Tim Aldrich reviews Steven Johnson's Emergence, learns why the slime mould is not so stupid and how feedback is more than an email address at the bottom of a webpage.
	23 May 2002 UNEP's scenarios for a sustainable planet Laura Turro  reports on UNEP's third state of the planet report, GEO-3
	23 May 2002 Candidate Countries to join EU Media Programme EU accession countries are joining a cultural programme aimed at improving awareness and distribution of film, music and television
	16 May 2002 Businesses say cost reduction biggest driver of ebusiness Reality bites for UK business as its Conferation of British Industry publishes its annual ebusiness report
	16 May 2002 Interview: 'I don't think that by getting people 'online' we will have solved the digital divide' Digital Europe interviews Brixton Online's Managing Director, Malcolm Forbes
	16 May 2002 Tech companies fare averagely in sustainability index UK Sustainability Matrix released by Morley Fund Management. Technology firms feature in neither top nor bottom rankings.
	9 May 2002 EU adopts VAT for ecommerce measures Business and US concerned - World Trade Organisation challenge possible
	9 May 2002 Uncomfortable findings from Webtrader pilot Webtrader pilot operation shows the scheme is not conducive to EU-wide 'upward harmonisation'
	9 May 2002 News in brief One in four UK children bullied electronically; governmental digital divide opening
	3 May 2002 Comment: Time for vision and values in an eEurope Forum for the Future's Vidhya Alakeson assesses the forthcoming eEurope Action Plan 2005.
	3 May 2002 EU and Latin America collaborate to create Information Societies During the Spanish Presidency the EU is working to strengthen links with Latin America and aid its moves to developing information societies

April - 2002

	25 April 2002 News in brief Italian reporting, pretty GPRS phones and calls for legally binding corporate accountability
	16 April 2002 Demand for fixed line in decline in Poland Poland's fixed line telecoms incumbent, TPSA, is cutting back investment in new lines, especially in rural areas.
	15 April 2002 Comment: Beyond the firewall James Wilsdon and Paul Miller explain how the next stage of direct action is likely to be online.
	11 April 2002 European Parliament takes tough line on WEEE MEPs reject European Council recommendations and argue that individual producers should be responsible for collection and recycling of electronic waste
	11 April 2002 Interview: 'We have a choice about whether the digital revolution will work for or against the environment' - Commissioner Wallström Digital Europe interviews Margot Wallström, European Commissioner for the Environment on the commission's response to sustainable development and the impact of the digital revolution on the environment.
	10 April 2002 France leads way on reporting From next year companies in France will be legally required to report on social and environmental issues.
	9 April 2002 Global Reporting Initiative inaugurated GRI, an independent initiative that aims to put social and environmental reporting on the same footing financial reporting, was inaugurated on 4 April at the United Nations in New York.
	4 April 2002 MEPs reject mandatory company reporting MEPs reject mandatory company reporting

March - 2002

	28 March 2002 Peoples-Earth-Summit launched Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and The Ecologist among hosts for 'invitation to people across the planet to... foster greater justice for the human community.'
	26 March 2002 Interview: ‘Open source software: a key driver of inclusion’ – Liikanen Digital Europe speaks to European Commissioner Erkki Liikanen about open source software, eEurope and his use of text messaging
	22 March 2002 Phone driving worse than drink driving New study estimates that a driver using a mobile phone is more dangerous on the road than a drunk one.
	20 March 2002 Liikanen: a vision of mobile Europe Where we are going with 3G and what the Commission thinks it can do to help get us there.
	14 March 2002 Ultrawideband (UWB) wireless unveiled Intel has demonstrated an early prototype of mobile technology that it claims transmits data at 100 mbps and possibly up to 500 mbps.
	14 March 2002 Comment: Barcelona - sustainable development left out in the cold As European Leaders meet in Barcelona this weekend for the Spring Summit, Digital Europe Coodinator, Vidhya Alakeson, considers where sustainable development sits within the agenda.
	14 March 2002 Case study report: The telecoms challenge in Poland Digital Europe's James Goodman has recently returned from Poland where there are high hopes riding on mobile technology
	11 March 2002 Bosnia-Herzogovina looks to information technologies An ambitious new Forum in Bosnia-Herzogovina aims to use information technology to improve local development, create jobs and, ultimately, pave the way for EU membership.
	7 March 2002 New think-tank aims to make most of information technologies MOST think-tank promotes closer communication between ISPs, universities and content providers
	7 March 2002 European ministers savage Commission’s sustainability paper Commission’s sustainable development synthesis report ‘does not sufficiently take account of the environmental dimension’ say European ministers.
	1 March 2002 European ICT market to grow by 5.4% in 2002 Launch of EITO yearbook raises profile of sustainable development and ICT in European context

February - 2002

	25 February 2002 Informal meeting of ICT ministers signals shift in eEurope policy In advance of the European Spring Summit in Barcelona next month, EU ministers met in Vitoria, Spain, last week to discuss the eEurope 2002 Action Plan.
	25 February 2002 11 world leaders commit to education, innovation and social justice 11 heads of state and government committed themselves to a progressive agenda of democracy and development in Stockholm last week
	25 February 2002 West's old computers polluting Asia New report slams American recycling centres for dumping old PCs in Asian canals and landfill
	25 February 2002 Review: Is this the future of thought? Vidhya Alakeson is inspired by Lawrence Lessig's analysis of how computers have shaped our thinking and what dangers lurk in restricting the flow of innovative ideas.
	24 February 2002 Comment: Open source versus proprietory software - debate becomes real for developing countries Bridges.org sets out the debate on how software development can influence international development
	15 February 2002 Commission plans extending the eEurope action plan to 2005 Benchmarking report spurs Liikanen to recommend three year extension
	7 February 2002 United Nations sets sights on closing digital divide UNDP’s Global Digital Opportunity Initiative set to narrow technology gap between north and south
	7 February 2002 Open source advantageous for South Africa? Discussion paper suggests that open source software could empower people the way proprietory software doesn’t
	7 February 2002 eEurope action plan behind schedule – Commission Action Plan 2002 benchmarking study reveals mixed impact of eEurope.
	7 February 2002 Commission announces online consultation on eEconomy Stakeholders encouraged to contribute to the prioritising of EU policy
	6 February 2002 Irish government pledges E11m for broadband Eircom to extend broadband access to regions
	5 February 2002 eVoting pilots for UK announced PC internet and mobiles to be trialled as voting mechanisms for local government elections

January - 2002

	31 January 2002 You are feeling very bleepy A new report suggests that 'remote hypnotherapy' may be more effective than its face-to-face equivalent.
	29 January 2002 European round-up: heads, CSR and poverty reduction New commission directorate head, CSR moves up commission’s agenda, and help for world’s poor with ICT
	29 January 2002 Comment: Assessing the promise of mobile Great claims are being made for the future of mobile telecommunications according to James Goodman
	28 January 2002 Europeans happier paying for mobile rather than PC content Ringtones and SMS services show lead the way as online content business models under pressure
	27 January 2002 UNESCO consults with NGOs ahead of technologies summits Non-Governmenal Organisations invited to talks in Paris
	26 January 2002 Good news: broadband goes down the drain Two British companies are collaborating on a project to provide broadband access to businesses in London through its network of sewers
	18 January 2002 European Commission publishes submission for Barcelona summit Full steam ahead on the way to a 'competitive and socially inclusive Europe' - but no sustainability?
	17 January 2002 French to vote on best of egovernment Best practice to be awarded by French minister Michel Sapin in February
	16 January 2002 Spanish government responds to phone mast fears Spanish 'electrosmog' law revised to give better protection to schools and hospitals
	10 January 2002 Online consultation on ‘New Approach’ Directive launched by Commission The ‘New Approach’ Directive on product regulation is seeking stakeholder consultation online with the aim of improving the existing system.
	10 January 2002 Strength in numbers: economies of scale enable Welsh IT Three Welsh County Councils are pooling resources to anable them to afford a more advanced It infrastructure
	10 January 2002 Comment: Hopes and predictions for 2002 (Part I) Some of the Digital Europe team reflect on what 2002 may offer for the worlds of IT and sustainable technology
	9 January 2002 eGovernment on your digital television Hertfordshire Council, UK is making its eGovernment website HertsDirect available to NTL digital television subscribers
	8 January 2002 Sweden to prioritise IT solutions to green issues National stakeholder group formed to address environmental ills
	7 January 2002 Spanish take over the European Presidency Amid the noise about the Euro, the Spanish quietly take on EU mantle
	7 January 2002 Germany publishes draft sustainable development strategy Calls for public and industry support
	2 January 2002 The 8 Principles of eGovernment ...according to the UK's eEnvoy. A chance to pause and consider the implications for ecommerce and egovernment.

December - 2001

	19 December 2001 French taxpayers to fill in tax returns online in 2002 9 million euro deal with Novell to provide software brings forward another eservice
	19 December 2001 2002 should be good year for broadband, digital tv and online music Jupiter MMXI makes predictions for 2002
	19 December 2001 Stronger Environmental Action Programme backed by MEPs Agreement within European Parliament to set explicit environmental targets within three years
	17 December 2001 German federal government pledges 1.65 billion euros to catch up in egovernment Berlin keen to scotch suggestions that it is falling behind in putting government services online.
	11 December 2001 UK constituency considers electronic voting Constituency with highest level of voter apathy in UK considers voting with mobile phones
	6 December 2001 Spanish propose sustainability targets Spanish government aims to reach sustainability by 2025 - technology and innovation included
	6 December 2001 UK Government trumpets successes Second annual UK Online report reports 51% of Britons now using internet regularly
	6 December 2001 Japanese environmental award for the fathers of the 'ecological rucksack' Friedrich Schmidt-Bleek and Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker receive the Takeda World Environment Award 2001 worth 100 million Japanese yen
	6 December 2001 Comment: Can ICTs lead business in corporate accountability? Vidhya Alakeson considers the potential for more triple bottom line reporting in the ITC sector
	5 December 2001 EU ministers agree sustainability indicators Path clear for annual reporting of sustainable development in EU
	5 December 2001 Norway first European country to switch on UMTS Isle of Man falls to second place in G3 network stakes
	5 December 2001 Policy dialogue between Japan and Germany on International Climate Policy & the IT-Sector Wuppertal and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies aim to spread best practice and more

November - 2001

	28 November 2001 Call for mandatory content rating to protect children On same day that police across four continents swoop on international child-porn ring, ESC calls for better protection of children online
	27 November 2001 From the web: round-up of some ebusiness and sustainability news US closes down Somalian internet access... Roman interest in smartcard scheme lower than expected... Welsh and Germans looking at different solutions to improve broadband access
	17 November 2001 Scandanavia leads world in egovernment popularity 53% of Norwegians have used egovernment services in last 12 months
	17 November 2001 Southern European countries to co-operate on egovernment Six countries sign memorandum
	15 November 2001 Stop Esso campaign comes to a website near you Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and People & Planet back new activist site
	13 November 2001 European Parliament bites the biscuit and bans cookies As expected last week, privacy laws aimed at targetting 'spam' could have major consequences for other aspects of the web
	13 November 2001 Catalonia and Brazil are latest to announce new egovernment and access projects Smartcards and internet kiosks are some different answers to increasing web access and increased government eservices
	7 November 2001 From the web: Will the European Union have the last bite of the cookie? European Parliament considers banning secret files that can keep records of what you are watching now. Cookie fans argue that they get an unfair press
	5 November 2001 UK business fears new European ebusiness laws will cost it €18 billion New laws reinforce consumer confidence says UK's Department of Trade and Industry. 600 businesses are not so sure.
	5 November 2001 From the web: New role for the internet – protector of French language against increasing domination of English Potential for other languages too
	2 November 2001 Marketing public sector information: one for all and all for one? Commissioner Liikanen wants Europe to follow the lead of the US and allow public information to be freely available for reuse by the private sector

October - 2001

	30 October 2001 Comment: The words of a well-connected fox eLab's Paul Miller reviews Manuel Castell's latest book, The Internet Galaxy and agrees that the internet is here to stay whether people like it or not
	29 October 2001 Welsh local authorities to get broadband €28 million announced by Welsh First Minister to connect schools, libraries and ultimately business parks
	24 October 2001 Comment: Does recession spell goodbye to sustainable development? ‘Bye bye Greens - see you in the next boom!’ crowed The Economist back in 1991. As we face recession Green Alliance's Rebecca Willis and Forum for the Future's James Wilsdon consider sustainable development's survival chances in such a climate.
	23 October 2001 'Corporate social responsibility makes good business sense' - Alexander The UK's first minister for corporate social responsibility speaks
	22 October 2001 Will Rwanda be wired in 2020? In the mid-nineties Rwanda was torn apart by genocide. Today its president believes that in twenty-years the country can move from an agrarian society to a knowledge economy.
	22 October 2001 When everyone is wireless... Last weekend's Pop!Tech conference in Camden, Maine, US debated the impact of a world that is 'online, everywhere, all the time'.
	19 October 2001 eGovernment league table: mixed fortunes for Europe Official publications widely available but online services are still lacking
	18 October 2001 Ecommerce alive and well in the US Despite 11 September attacks US citizens buying $1.7bn more online than last year. Is this likely to be repeated in Europe?
	17 October 2001 Comment: Fitting the pieces together Vidhya Alakeson reiterates the need to see new technologies as a part of a bigger picture
	16 October 2001 Indian wireless solution for remote communities (updated) Cost of access to telephone and internet could fall five-fold in areas where landlines are expensive to install
	15 October 2001 Comment: eLogistics made sexy eLab's James Goodman reflects on the launch of a new report from the UK Government and begins to think that retail logistics may be fun after all...
	15 October 2001 A more 'mobile' mobile phone mast? Mobile phone masts may be replaced one day with helium airships if a European company has its way
	12 October 2001 Foot and mouth inquiry broadcast live on web BBC Devon and the ISP behind 'Pig Brother' stream first public inquiry online
	12 October 2001 Broadband a priority for Europe - Liikanen Europe's Commissioner for Information Society welcomes report into broadband
	12 October 2001 Low R&D means Europe still lags US and Japan Europe's Innovation Scorecard 2001 offers good and bad news on where the ICT industry is heading
	8 October 2001 eGovernance championed in Scotland New think tank launched in Scotland to research and promote e-governance
	5 October 2001 Scottish community site Yells for joy Caithness.org fights off the Netdoctor and Naturenet to win best Community Website at the UK's annual Yell.com awards
	3 October 2001 Geeks to save the world A techie answer to the US Peace Corps aims to enable new technologies for developing countries.

September - 2001

	13 September 2001 New study on eWork eWork: a Status Report on New Ways to Work in the Knowledge Economy has been published by the European Commission
	13 September 2001 US bill seeks to government-approve all computers Experts fear bootleg backlash
	13 September 2001 £56 billion spent online in UK Record levels of ecommerce but with great regional differences

	Write your comments here and send them directly to Digital Europe. Please give your email address if you require a response.

News and comment
Full news index

related links...

Euractiv

Kablenet

What is the ‘thumb-generation’?

Hosted, designed and developed by
Ethical Media