The Commission adopted, on June 1st, the initiative 'i2010: European Information Society 2010' to foster growth and jobs in the information society and media industries. i2010 is a comprehensive strategy for modernising and deploying all EU policy instruments to encourage the development of the digital economy: regulatory instruments, research and partnerships with industry. The Commission will in particular promote high-speed and secure broadband networks offering rich and diverse content in Europe.

'For many years, experts have been talking about digital convergence of communication networks, media content and devices', said Viviane Reding, the Commissioner responsible for Information Society and Media. 'Today, we see digital convergence actually happening. Voice over IP, Web TV, on-line music, movies on mobile telephones - all this is now reality. To enhance investment in this promising sector of the economy, we must provide a coherent regulatory framework for Europe's digital economy that is market-oriented, flexible and future-proof. And we must focus our research spending on key information and communication technologies, such as nanoelectronics.'

In its i2010 initiative, the Commission outlines three policy priorities: