Government of Catalonia

Once again, it is our pleasure to welcome the e-Governance Catalonia Forum. This year, however, we do so under rather special circumstances: for the first time, Catalonia is on the point of gaining a Statute of Autonomy which recognises that the public authorities "must promote access to communication and information technologies under conditions of equality" and that the Generalitat "must promote training, research and innovation in technology because the opportunities of progress offered by the knowledge society contribute towards an improvement in social welfare and cohesion".

The presence of the internet among Catalan society has undergone an extraordinary change in recent years, and this has taken place in tandem with the spread of information and communication technologies, both in the public and business sectors. This is an unstoppable process and represents a chance to take advantage of its opportunities, demonstrating the conviction that our future lies not in adapting to changes, but rather promoting them.

The holding of the third e-Governance Catalonia Forum, this year with the title International Workshop on Government, Citizens and Innovation, is an expression of this conviction. This conviction is for all of us a successful step forward in tackling the future with more efficient and democratic public administrations which contribute towards the competitiveness of the country.

Pasqual Maragall
President of the Government of Catalonia