Information and Communication Technologies E-commerce accounted for 12% of enterprises’ turnover in the EU27 in 2008 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) used by 3% of enterprises in 2009

In January 2009, 93% of enterprises of ten or more persons employed had access to the internet in the EU27 and 82% of enterprises had a broadband internet connection. Among other uses, internet access enables enterprises to buy and sell products electronically: in the EU27 in 2008, 12% of enterprises’ turnover was generated from e-commerce.

Almost all enterprises in Finland, Denmark, Austria and Slovakia have internet access

In January 2009, the highest proportions of enterprises with internet access in the EU27 were recorded in Finland (100%), Denmark, Austria and Slovakia (all 98%) and Germany (97%). The percentage was less than 90% in only six Member States: Romania (72%), Bulgaria (83%), Latvia and Hungary (both 87%), Cyprus (88%) and Greece (89%). Malta stood at 94%.

The proportion of enterprises with a broadband connection in January 2009 was above 90% in Finland (94%), Spain and Malta (both 93%) and France (92%). Only in Romania (40%), Lithuania (57%) and Poland (58%) did less than 60% of enterprises have a broadband connection.

A little more than a quarter of e-commerce turnover with destinations outside the country

The share of enterprise turnover generated from e-commerce in 2008 varied significantly between Member States. The highest shares were recorded in Ireland (26%), Finland and Sweden (both 18%), the Czech Republic, Germany and the United Kingdom (all 15%), Hungary (14%) and France (13%). The lowest shares were observed in Bulgaria and Cyprus (both 1%). Malta stood at 11%.

In the EU27, three quarters (73%) of e-commerce turnover came from within the country, 19% from another EU27 Member State and 8% from outside the EU27. Over 80% of e-commerce turnover came from within the country in Latvia (88%), Bulgaria (85%), the United Kingdom (83%), Greece and France (both 82%) and Spain (81%). Hungary (60%) recorded the highest share of e-commerce turnover with another Member State, followed by Cyprus (51%), Slovakia (44%) and Ireland (39%). Highest proportions of e-commerce turnover from outside the EU27 were observed for enterprises in Malta (56%), Slovakia (34%), Ireland (23%) and Cyprus (20%).

Person identification or access control the main use of RFID in the EU27

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology which uses special tags to remotely retrieve data by radio waves. This technology is used, among other uses, to keep track of freight passing through a cargo terminal, to monitor inventory, as a payment system for motorways and bridges or to identify and control access of persons.

In the EU27 in January 2009, 3% of enterprises used RFID. The Netherlands (9%), Finland (8%), Germany, Spain, Austria and Slovakia (all 4%) had the highest shares of enterprises using RFID and Greece, Cyprus and Romania (all 1%) the lowest. Their was no specific data available for Malta.

This technology is used for a wide variety of purposes. RFID was mostly used by enterprises in the EU27 for person identification or access control (56%), for inventory tracking and tracing (29%), for payment, e.g. motorway tolls (25%), for product identification (24%), for monitoring of industrial production (21%) and for service and maintenance information management (15%).

These data come from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, and form part of the results of a survey conducted at the beginning of 2009 on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in enterprises in the EU27 Member States, Croatia and Norway.

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