|
|
|
|
 |
| RECOMMENDATION 1122 (1990)1 on
the revival of the countryside by means of information technology |
| 1. The Assembly considers that new information and
communication technologies offer new opportunities for the strengthening and revival of
rural regions across Europe. The achievement of a new harmony between urban centres and
the countryside through the application of such technologies would not only meet the
aspirations of an increasing number of Europeans to improve the quality of their life and
environment by living and working in the countryside, but would also benefit family life,
and reduce the strain on transport systems and the environment, easing life in the cities.
One successful implementation model for the achievement of such changes is the Swedish
‘‘telecottage'' project. |
| 2. The Assembly notes with satisfaction the important
contributions that the Council of Europe has made to the preservation and development of
rural Europe and its environmental and cultural diversity, in particular through the
European Campaign for the Countryside organised in 1987 and 1988, and by work in the
environmental field. The Council of Europe should continue its work in favour of rural
regions, inter alia by promoting the application of new information and
communication technologies. |
| 3. Consequently, the Assembly recommends that the Committee
of Ministers invite the governments of member states, the European Community, the European
Space Agency and OECD : |
|
a. to work out strategies for the application of new
information and communication technology in rural areas, within the framework of a general
development plan which gives special emphasis to rural development and to decentralisation
in the fields of work and economy ;
|
|
b. to establish policies for the telecommunication sector in
line with rural development objectives and the specific needs of the countryside. This
should specifically apply to price policies for telecommunication services, policies for
telecommunication infrastructures, equipment and availability ;
|
|
c. to provide for the testing of and experimentation with
different models (infrastructure, equipment and user programmes), to satisfy the specific
needs of existing and future clients and operators in rural communities. The Swedish
‘‘telecottage'' model, which has also been tested in other European countries,
as well as other experiences, should serve as a source of inspiration for this work ;
|
|
d. to create and strengthen well-adapted training and
education on the use of new information and communication technologies in rural regions,
in particular for rural youth ;
|
|
e. to give special attention to the problem of helping
existing small and medium-sized enterprises in all sectors to make rapid use of these new
technologies for the improvement of their performance and competitiveness ;
|
|
f. to design development policies which will facilitate the
creation of new employment opportunities and new enterprises in the information and
communication technology sector in rural regions. This could include the decentralisation
of public and private service institutions and companies, and of public
administrations ;
|
|
g. to implement employment policies which will favour
part-time work in rural areas through the use of telecommunication technologies where
complete decentralisation of workplaces may not be possible.
|
| 4. Bearing in mind its Recommendation 1110 (1989) on
distance teaching, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers include in the
intergovernmental programme of activities a project designed to assist member states in
introducing the aforesaid policies. |
| ___________________ 1. Assembly
debate on 2 February 1990 (29th Sitting) (see Doc. 6160, report of the Committee on
Agriculture, Rapporteur : Mr Lanner). |
| Text adopted by the Assembly on 2
February 1990 (29th Sitting). |
|
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
