"The availability of eSkills is a key condition for successful innovation and for the competitiveness of European companies", commented Günter Verheugen, European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry. "We cannot afford to delay, and we will only succeed if all partners join their forces."

"Shortfalls of qualified ICT practitioners slow down new ICT applications in the economy and draw away billions of euros of investment funds to dynamic emerging economies, where hundreds of thousands of new engineers are qualifying each year", added Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding.

In its Communication, the European Commission sets out five areas for action at the EU level: raising awareness, developing supporting actions and tools, fostering employability and social inclusion, promoting better and greater use of eLearning, and promoting long-term cooperation and monitoring progress.

Many of the actions will be carried out within the framework of existing policies and programmes, such as the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) for research and technological development.

Under the 'awareness raising' action, the Commission pledges to encourage the exchange of information and best practice between Member States on ways to promote science, maths, and ICT; create career profiles and perspectives; and address gender issues in technical and scientific areas.

The supporting actions and tools section covers the development of a European eCompetence framework and a European eSkills and career portal, among other things. Under the employability and social inclusion action, the Commission sets out its plans to launch an eInclusion initiative with a view to halving the digital divide, while the eLearning action will promote the development of courses and mechanisms facilitating the exchange of eSkills training resources.

Finally, the cooperation and monitoring action calls for an ongoing dialogue with Member States and stakeholders on the issues addressed in the Communication.

The Commission plans to start working on these action lines by the end of the year, with a view to achieving full implementation by 2010. During 2008, a major conference will be held to report on progress and discuss the way forward.

"Knowledge, skills, and competences are the main capital of European citizens, and eSkills are a key competence in the context of lifelong learning", said Education and Culture Commissioner Ján Figel. "ICT has the potential to enable innovation and lifelong learning for all. We must ensure that this becomes a reality."