ANNUAL REPORT 2015 | TELECENTRE EUROPE
Influencing policy
The launch of the Digital Single Market (DSM)
strategy marked the policy agenda in 2015. We
had already partnered with peer networks (Digital
Europe, CEPIS, European Schoolnet) and our
member in Latvia LIKTA to sign an e-Skills manifesto
aimed to remind their importance for a DSM
strategy. The need of a digitally inclusive society was
somehow neglected, a situation partially palliated
by our insistence in their fora to recognise the need
to continue investing in digital literacy, and to think
of digital citizens, not just consumers. In addition,
we have advocated for measures to promote digital
literacy for all in EC’s new e-government action plan.
Our advocacy
efforts in 2015
opened up
more room
to make our
message heard
by European
institutions and
have a say in its policy making process. In addition to
our well-known European Get Online Week, which
this time was endorsed by Vice-President Ansip and
Commissioner Oetinger, we ran for the first time
an e-Participation project with 12 members in 11
countries, engaging for the first time Members of
the European Parliament in our public events.
In order to spread our message out and to work
closer with European institutions, during the year
we have become members of two influential
associations: the European Internet Forum, an
initiative of MEPs to regularly meet and debate
with corporates and associations about sensitive
digital issues, and the Lifelong Learning Platform
(former EUCIS-LLL) which represents civil society
organisations working in the field of education.
Through the latter we have participated in significant
civil society meetings and policy discussion groups
on validation of competences and digital learning,
contributing to its lifelong learning manifesto with an
action on digital literacy added per our suggestion.
Being once more a beneficiary of an Erasmus+
operating grant, we were invited again to
the Education, Training and Youth Forum, a
key stakeholders’ consultation space for the
implementation of the Education & Training 2020
strategy. This time we played active roles in the
fields of learning
and inclusion as
well as validation
and recognition
of competences,
with our
contributions
reflected
in