e-business: e-commerce data show a steady increase in buying and selling on-line, but more needs to be done to fully integrate ICT into business processes.

28. Notes the differences which apply in respect of education in entrepreneurship and the nurturing of the entrepreneurial spirit in schools; recognises that the development of business skills should be an objective of national secondary education programmes in all the Member States; recognises the importance of the first line for action in the Charter, relating to "education and training for entrepreneurship", which emphasises the need to support business innovation and worker training, to develop entrepreneurship from an early age in lessons and training courses devoted to business in secondary school, university and technological training, to encourage close cooperation with research centres, to encourage public support for young entre ...[+++]preneurs and to establish links between the various sectors of public administration; considers that the formation of business clusters of small enterprises could be one effective way to foster job creation;

28. Notes the differences which apply in respect of education in entrepreneurship and the nurturing of the entrepreneurial spirit in schools; recognises that the development of business skills should be an objective of national secondary education programmes in all the Member States; recognises the importance of the first line for action in the Charter, relating to "education and training for entrepreneurship", which emphasises the need to support business innovation and worker training, to develop entrepreneurship from an early age in lessons and training courses devoted to business in secondary school, university and technological training, to encourage close cooperation with research centres, to encourage public support for young entre ...[+++]preneurs and to establish links between the various sectors of public administration; considers that the formation of business clusters of small enterprises could be one effective way to foster job creation;

In a dynamic e-business environment, business transactions take place electronically and business processes are on offer which are adapted to the information society and make use of the possibilities of digital technology.

The Commission is trying to breathe some life into e-business which is growing much more slowly than expected, by going through the relevant legislation in cooperation with the Member States and eliminating those factors which prevent firms from engaging in e-business.

28. Invites the Council and the Commission, who have similar global priorities for 2003, to make efforts, in the context of the conciliation, to secure agreements on major issues such as economic development, SMEs, especially craft undertakings and micro-enterprises, health and safety, e-learning, justice and home affairs, common immigration and asylum policy and strengthening of control of external borders of EU;