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That is why Belgium is concentrating on improving four strate-
gic elements: access, security, knowledge and the number of
applications. The initiatives that go with these aims are:
1. Promoting the electronic identity card: Belgium is making a
concerted effort to promote the eID as a way of securing the
Internet. ICT companies integrating the eID in their systems
bring the Internet to a higher, safer level.
2. The National Action Plan: the government has drawn up a
National Action Plan with about 30 actions to counter the
digital gap. The main goal of this Plan is to reduce the digital
gap by a third in the next five years. Besides the provision
of household and public access to the Internet, initiatives
meant to target specific groups such as the underprivileged,
the disabled, women and the elderly will be launched. The
next two initiatives are an essential part of this Plan and are
actual examples of the actions undertaken.
3. The ‘Internet for Everyone’ logo: to boost PC and Internet, a
sensitizing and promoting campaign has been started. This
campaign uses a logo which shows that the government,
together with its partners, is committed to spreading the
message as broadly as possible.
4. The ‘Internet for Everyone’ package: a cheap package consist-
ing of a PC, an Internet connection and basic training will be
offered in shops from 2006. Through negotiations with the
ICT sector, the package will be EUR 500 euros cheaper than
any available today.
5. Safer chat rooms for seniors: provided that they use their eID,
seniors can get access to chat rooms secured especially for
them.
6. Safer chat boxes for minors: in association with Internet
Service Providers, chat boxes secured with the eID (and pin
codes) have been developed. The launch, in September 2005,
was accompanied by a commitment to provide all 12 year olds
a free card reader during the year in which they receive their
first eID.
7. Asking the Belgian population: for the first time, public opinion
– of Internet users as well as computer illiterates – has been
surveyed to find out what they expect from e-government.
8. Computerization of the disabled persons allowance awarding
procedure: this will bring about a substantial decrease in the
time taken to handle files.
9. S-Days: on 14 October 2005, a large-scale information and
sensitising campaign was launched. This federal government
campaign is largely sustained by the ICT sector, the
Education and the Employment offices and aims to awaken
the Belgian population about the issues related to commu-
nication security.
10. Consultation platform for information security: to provide
an answer to ICT issues such as spam, spyware, viruses,
botnets and the theft of electronic data, the federal govern-
ment has created a consultation platform for information
security. This platform is made up of nine actual federal
institutions.
11. Spike and Suzy: a comic book for children dealing with safe
Internet practices, and featuring the famous Belgian charac-
ters Spike and Suzy will be spread among young people at
the end of 2005 or early 2006. The content has been drawn
up in association with Child Focus.