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This project has been unded with support rom theEuropean Commission. This publication reects theviews only o the author, and the Commission cannot beheld responsible or any use which may be made o theinormation contained therein.

Bulletin 12

January/February 2011

www.2mobility.eu

E-Bridge to mobility was created ater observing theEU labour market and analysing the needs o EasternEurope emigrants (especially those rom Bulgaria,Poland, Romania and Sl ovakia).They move rom one EU country to another (inparticular the U.K., Germany and Spain) oreducational, fnancial or social reasons.

The whole policy was devel-oped within the ramework o

the i2010 strategy, whose pri-

orities include supporting an

integrated approach to the

inormation society and me-

dia in the policy o the Euro-

pean Union. Europe, which is

currently acing a crisis, with

a rapidly ageing population,

wants to support develop-

ment o a knowledge-based

society, mainly through lie-

long learning and the pro-motion o the use o modern

technologies in various en-

vironments, as a way to im-

prove the economic situation

as well as the general quality

o lie.

The mission of an informationsociety backed by ICT

As knowledge and innovation are the main drivers of development andsustainable growth, it is therefore necessary to develop an informationsociety, based on modern technologies. The European Union wants tobuild this society not only in homes but also in public institutions and thesmall and medium-sized business sector.

The priorities of the European policyconcerning development of aninformation society and the media:

i icreating a uniorm European inormation space

supporting an open and competitive internal market in

the areas o inormation society and media

i isupporting innovations and research in the eld o ICT,

aimed at supporting growth and the creation o new

and better jobs

i building an inclusive European inormation society that

would contribute to development and the creation o

new jobs, in accordance with the rules o sustainable

growth, with a higher quality o public services and lie

as priorities.

It is dicult to imagine a modern economy without inormation and communication technolo-

gies, as they make up a quarter o the growth in GDP and 40% o E.U. productivity. The develop-

ment rate o some Member States o the European Union is strongly determined by their spend-

ing on Rand D o modern technologies. Thus the EU authorities aim at levelling the chances

o citizens rom new members states and those rom the original union, in order to increase

competitively, stimulate employment and by extension support the European economy. To

provide coherent development o a digital economy, the EU authorities need to work not only

on digital, but also on political convergence, in order to achieve the desired results.

The infuence o inormation

and communication technol-

ogies on society is growing

every year. However, more

than a hal o the EU inhab-

itants either do not benet

ully rom these technologies

or is completely deprived o

them. Improving social, eco-

nomic and territorial cohe-sion through greater accessi-

bility o ICT-related products

and services, also in less well-

developed regions, is an eco-

nomic and social necessity.

The i2010 strategy puts par-

ticular emphasis on general

participation as well as equip-

ping all citizens with basic

digital skills. These skills are

the source o unlimited op-

portunities or lielong learn-

ing and support mobility.

ICT have an under-exploited

potential to improve the

quality o lie. Moreover, a

large sector o society, mainly

rom poorer regions o the

European Union does not

know what modern technolo-

gies are and how can they

be used. Research results in-

dicate, however, that ICT not

only contribute to the growth

o employment and proes-sional skills and competence,

but also may improve health

o individuals. Lielong im-

proving and development

o general and proessional

skills o individuals supports

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The E-bridge partners:

social cohesion and thereore improves

well-being and the quality o lie. The

use o modern technologies in educa-

tion enables easy and ecient develop-

ment, regardless o peoples age. Taking

into account demographic challenges

that Europe is acing, ICT may help to

improve the eciency o public health

care and social security systems. An im-

portant role o modern technologies is

supporting cultural diversity in Europe

through greater access to the cultural

heritage and works o art or a wider

public. But that is not all: a wide range

o communication tools supports inter-

cultural dialogue and integration into

European society. This in turn has an im-

portant infuence on the mobility o EU

citizens, and mobility or ageing citizens

o Europe is crucial or the condition o

the communitys economy.

The important contribution o ICT to

the improved quality o lie is oten un-

derestimated and technologies are ac-cepted only on a limited scale. In order

to make ICT more visible, the EU Com-

mission suggests developing model ICT

initiatives in areas o the most impor-

tant social challenges. In the beginning,

these initiatives should be ocused on

three priorities: the needs o an ageing

society, sae and ecological transporta-

tion and cultural diversity. Providing

care and assistance or ageing society

will be the subject o the rst initiative;

it will include technologies supportinggood living conditions, well-being and

the health o citizens as well as enabling

them to maintain an independent lie.

The second initiative will be connected

with smart vehicles, i.e. cars that would

be more innovative, ecological and sa-

er, and it will aim at dealing with issues

connected with environment protection and saety, resulting rom growing trac

density on the roads. Digital libraries making multimedia resources more accessible

and user-riendly will be the subject o the third initiative. It will be based on the rich

cultural heritage o Europe and will bring technological development as well as new

business models to the elds o multiculturalism and multilingualism.

The products o the E-bridge to mobility project are based entirely on modern tech-

nologies, thereore they make Europeans more aware o the importance o modern

technologies, especially or elderly people, who are at greatest risk o digital and

social exclusion. The products were prepared in such a way, that ater creating an

account on the 2mobility.eu web page each beneciary is able to use them to learn

oreign languages and acquire knowledge about every day lie and culture o theEUs inhabitants.

Products of the project:

Certain products which make up the course can be used with a computer, the Internet and mobile phones. Their

greatest advantage is that they can be used anywhere and at any time. They do not impose any limits and provide

perfect support for every mobile European. The E-bridge 2 mobility project is consistent with the i2010 strategy and,

first of all, it brings the idea of a modern information society to life, providing support for two main social groups,

who are a subject of special concern for the European Commission: the young and the elderly. In the coming years

Europe will invest a lot in education and development of young people, in order to meet the economic challenges

of Europe and keep up with the changes. The elderly are an important issue of contemporary Europe that is facing

a challenge of mobilizing and activating the oldest members of European society.

Language course:Courses o: English, Spanish and German

Mobiles:Applications or mobile phones(3 language versions: EN, ES, DE)

Basic Legal Forms:Basic legal inormation about 3 countries: the UK, Spain and Germany

Screensavers:Screensavers or computers (3 language versions: EN, ES, DE)

Pictionary:Language in pictures: English, Spanish German