Blair tells MPs of his IT vision for Europe

Prime Minister Tony Blair outlined a European future based on 'enterprise, innovation and competition', when he addressed the House of Commons on the details of the agreement from the Lisbon summit.

Mr Blair told MPs today (March 27) that the Council meeting marked a "sea change" in European economic thinking and pointed Europe in a new direction.

He said: "It points Europe away from the heavy-handed intervention and regulation, towards a new approach based on enterprise, innovation and competition."

He explained the measures agreed at the summit including:

*rapid agreement on an effective legal framework for e-commerce within the EU this year;

*a fully liberalised and competitive telecoms market by the end of the next year;

*access to the internet for all schools by 2001;

*electronic access to the main basic public services by 2003;

*the introduction of a European diploma for basic IT skills;

*a Community-wide patent by the end of 2001;

*Government and Community procurement to be carried out completely on line by 2003.

A further measure was the development of a European Charter for Small Firms to 'clear away obstacles to the growth of small businesses'.