PURPOSE : to extend the MODINIS programme until 31 December 2006, and to adjust the overall budget.
PROPOSED ACT : Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.
CONTENT : The multi-annual Community programme MODINIS was adopted on 17th November 2003 for the period 2003 to 2005, with a budget of EUR 21 million. This amount was subsequently increased to EUR 22.4 million by Decision No 786/2004/EC in order to take into account the enlargement of the EU.
MODINIS provides financial support for the monitoring of the information society in Europe and dissemination of good practice.
Both the MODINIS programme and the eEurope 2005 Action Plan expire at the end of 2005. The successor to the eEurope 2005 Action Plan, the i2010 initiative, will enter into force in January 2006. In order to ensure continuity between the expiry of the MODINIS programme, the successor of eEurope 2005, and the launch of the ICT Policy Support Fund 2007 it is proposed that an annual programme be adopted in order to continue support to benchmarking and best practice activities as well as analysis and policy dialogue during 2006. It is essential that the new information society policy initiative continues to benefit from a financial support programme right from the start. In particular, benchmarking, exchange and dissemination of best practice and structured and strategic dialogue with stakeholders need to be carried out every year in order to develop a meaningful EU Information Society policy.
The overall objectives of the programme are still valid and relevant, and will therefore remain unchanged. However, the fourth and last objective of MODINIS is to prepare for the establishment of the future structure at European level for network and information security issues (ENISA) with a view to improving network and information security. Since the adoption of Regulation 460/2004/EC establishing ENISA, actions related to this objective are no longer supported by MODINIS.
The programme for 2006 shall continue the monitoring of the take up and use of ICTs across the economy and the dissemination of good practices and shall have the following objectives:
-to monitor performance of and within Member States and to compare it with the best in the world by using, where possible, official statistics;
-to support efforts by Member States to stimulate the use of ICTs, at national, regional or local level, by analysis of good practices and by the complementary interaction of developing mechanisms of exchange of experiences;
-to analyse the economic and societal consequences of the information society with a view to facilitating policy discussions particularly in terms of competitiveness, growth and employment as well as in terms of social inclusion.
These objectives will be pursued through data collection and benchmarking analysis, studies to identify good practices, targeted conferences, seminars and workshops. The duration of the extension of the programme will be of 12 months, beginning 1st January 2006 and ending 31st December 2006. The budget will be EUR 7.72 million. A specific work programme will be published containing the year's priorities and actions.
The Commission therefore proposes:
-to prolong the MODINIS programme until 31 December 2006,
-to adjust the overall budget of the MODINIS programme as prolonged to EUR 30.16 million.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS :
- Budget lines and headings: 09-030100.
- Total allocation for action : EUR 7.72 million for commitment.
- Action 1: (surveys, pilot actions) EUR 4.400 million.
- Action 2: (studies, conferences ands workshops) EUR 3.020 million.
- Action 3: (website, documentation and communication EUR 0.300 million.
- TOTAL EUR 7.720 million.
- Period of application: 1st January 2006-31st December 2006.
- Technical and administrative assistance and support expenditure: none.
- Overall financial impact of human resources and other administrative expenditure: EUR 1.036 million.
- Total : EUR 8.756 million.
- Total staff: 7.5.