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The Information Market Policy ACTions (IMPACT) Programme

IMPACT Work Programme 1995 (Draft)

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IMPACT in brief

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IMPACT in brief

The IMPACT (Information Market Policy ACTions) programme of DG XIII/E aims to establish an internal market for electronic information services and to improve the competitiveness of European firms by promoting the use of advanced information services.

The programme was approved by the Council of Ministers in 1988. Its two-year introductory phase, IMPACT 1, was implemented during 1989-1990. IMPACT 2, the second phase of the programme, runs from 1991 until the end of 1995 with a budget of Ecu 64 million.

The central strategic theme of IMPACT 2 is INFO EURO ACCESS ("improving the accessibility of information at the European level for all interested parties").

The programme's four action lines are as follows:

  1. Improving the understanding of the market (through activities of the Information Market Observatory, IMO)

  2. Overcoming legal and administrative barriers (through activities of the Legal Advisory Board, LAB). Connect to Strathclyde University's web server to access the full text versions of LAB reports and minutes of previous meetings

  3. Increasing user-friendliness and improving information literacy (by stimulating the application of norms and standards, and carrying out awareness, user support and training activities)

  4. Supporting strategic information initiatives which actively contribute to the development of the European information market.
In activities undertaken in the framework of these action lines, special attention is devoted to the requirements of less favoured regions (LFRs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

A detailed background to the programme and its objectives is contained in the "Proposal for a Council Decision setting up a programme for an information services market" (COM(90) 570 final), which is also accessible in full in the IMPACT Information Service database on ECHO (to access it, log in with the public password IMPACT).

In addition, information about IMPACT and its activities may be obtained from the IMPACT Central Office (see IMPACT Contact Points). At a national level, information is available from the National Awareness Partners (NAPs). This network of partners was created in 1992 to extend awareness of electronic information services and their benefits throughout Member States. The organisations involved as NAPs have first-hand knowledge of their national market and are supported by a Central Support Team (CST) based in Luxembourg. The Central Support Team also operates the ECHO host service.

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