European digital agendas: Flanders in Belgium

Last autumn I discussed the Digital Agenda for Europe, and I asked readers for information about corresponding information and communication (ICT) policy strategies at national level in the member states of the European Union (especially in English or other widely understood languages).

The response has not amounted to much yet, so I return to the national digital agendas on the basis of what I happen to find.


Belgium - Flanders

In highly decentralised Belgium, I came across the Flanders region, which has a Flanders in Action Pact 2020 (ViA), built along the lines of the lines of the Europe 2020 strategy (EU2020).

In English you can find links to the seven breakthrough actions. A good way to start may be the background page About ViA, with the following description of the Pact 2020 initiative:

The plan consists of twenty objectives that are sharply and quantifiably delineated, plus five breakthrough actions in areas where Flanders has already achieved a model presence but where, tomorrow, it can truly make a major difference.

The page contains links to three publications with more information:

Action for 2020! The future plan for Flanders in progress (August 2011 brochure)

Flanders in action – I'm all for it (June 2010 folder with further links)

Flanders outlook 2011 – A benchmarking of Flanders amongst the European regions (February 2011)

My cursory search did not reveal a specific digital agenda. The thematic page most closely related to the EU Digital Agenda seems to be Innovation centre Flanders, with a brief introduction. The Dutch page Innovatiecentrum Vlaanderen offers more information, as well as links to research and development (R&D) issues, more closely related to the flagship initiative Innovation Union and the R&D programmes of the EU.

The general ViA brochure in Dutch has about twice the volume of its English counterpart, but I found no specific digital agenda there either:

Actie voor 2020! Het toekomstplan voor Vlaanderen in uitvoering (January 2011)

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If you have information about a planned or finished Flemish digital agenda, or about the central government or the other regions of Belgium, I am grateful for information. You can comment on this blog post or send me an email. Updates about other ICT (information society) strategies are also welcome.



Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU digital policy and law

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