Although purchased for entertainment value, the best games bring other positive benefits, not least promoting analytical and strategy skills and making young people accustomed to interaction with information technology.

- actively using media, through, inter alia , interactive television, use of Internet search engines or participation in virtual communities, and better exploiting the potential of media for entertainment, access to culture, intercultural dialogue, learning and daily-life applications (for instance, through libraries, podcasts);

new media paradigms and new forms of content, including entertainment; creation of and access to interactive digital content; enriched user experiences; cost-effective content delivery; digital rights management; hybrid media,

The aim is to stimulate the creation of rich interactive content for personalised broadcasting and advanced trusted media and entertainment applications.

The following services will form part of the Open digital interactive television service: home banking, home shopping, holiday and travel services, down-loading of games, learning on line, entertainment and leisure, sports, motor world, a limited collection of 'walled garden' internet sites provided by a third party and e-mail and public services.

This definition of "service" would cover, for example: * on-line professional services (such as solicitors, estate agents, stockbrokers, insurance, health care, psychologists, travel agents) * interactive entertainment services (such as video on demand, on- line video-games, virtual visits to museums) * on-line information services (such as electronic libraries, meteorological services, financial information), virtual shopping malls * on-line electronic newspapers * on-line educational services. On the other hand, this definition would not cover (because they are either not offered at a distance, or not offered via electronic means, or n ...[+++]ot supplied on individual demand): * television broadcasting services (including near video on demand services) * radio broadcasting services * teletext * non-electronic direct marketing services (for example, mail order catalogues) * automatic bank tellers * electronic games such as found in amusement arcades * voice telephony services (including via GSM). 7 Readers wishing to receive copies of this document (COM(96)392 final of 30.8.96) should send their request by fax to DGXV on Brussels 295.77.12, see IP/96/695 of 24.7.96 The proposal's key aim is to ensure that the Single Market is not fragmented and that no new regulatory barriers appear.