CALENDAR.

• Position: European meetings - Calendar

*Ministerial Conference on high speed internet connections

Safer use of the Internet and the struggle against spam: these are two of the major subjects on the agenda of an important European conference on high speed connections (Broadband), to be held on April 22 at the Dundalk Institute of Technology. The conference, which will bring together Ministers of Communication from Member and Accession States, will also study new trends and strategies for high-speed connection across Europe. This event, for which Dermot Ahern, the Irish Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources will be the host, will also deal with content and stimulation of demand. A broad range of speakers will participate: from Europe, the international scene, industry and Member States. In addition, this meeting will enable a review of Member State strategies for high speed access, in relation to the eEurope Action Plan 2005. Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society, will also take part.

*e-Business in industrial sectors and its impact on European regions

IANIS, the Innovative Actions Network for the Information Society, and e-Business Watch, will organise a seminar e-Business in industrial sectors and its impact on European regions, to be held in Brussels on March 31. This seminar will try to answer the following questions:

- Has e-business use by organisations in specific sectors in a region contributed to increasing companies' competitiveness, thereby maintaining or even creating new jobs in the region?

- Have regions managed to benefit from the establishment of associated e-business spin-offs such as logistics centres?

- Has e-business helped organisations in a region in establishing so-called clusters which have as a consequence positively contributed to their competitiveness in the market?

The objective of the event is to discuss implications, opportunities and risks which e-business may pose to European regions.

For further...