The summit is expected to agree the following targets today:
Internal market:
To open telecommunications local lines to competition to reduce Internet access costs by end-2000;
Agreement by end-2000 on e-commerce legislation and in 2001 on the telecommunications review package;
Substantial progress on European company statute by June 2000;
Remove all barriers to trade in services by end-2000;
Adopt EU patent by 2001;
New public procurement rules by 2001 with all public procurement online by 2003;
Full liberalisation of EU energy markets, a single European market in air travel, and new rail-freight "freeways" by 2004;
Rapid progress on tax package, and on takeovers and bank liquidation legislation by June 2000;
Integrated venture capital market by 2003;
Integration of financial services market by 2005.
Research:
Creation of virtual centres of excellence for Europe by end 2000, linked by broadband electronic networks;
Annual benchmarking of research activities in Europe with first report in 2001;
Enhance mobility of researchers by setting targets for non-nationals by 2002; New strategy for assisting private-sector research by 2002.
Social objectives:
Restoration of full employment as a key objective;
Raising percentage of working-age people actually employed from 61 per cent today to 70 per cent by 2010;
Increasing number of women in employment from 51 per cent to 60 per cent by 2010;
Lifelong learning:
Connect all schools to the Internet by 2001;
Ensure all teachers are skilled in Internet use by 2002;
Digital literacy skills for all workers and school leavers by 2003 and for all citizens by 2005;
Raising by half the share of GDP invested in human resources by 2010;
Halving number 18-24 year olds with only secondary education by 2004-2005;
Public access to Internet resource centres and free training by 2002.