The following report provides an estimation of the number of Web sites developed by relevant categories of actors in the Central and Eastern European Countries. The 7 categories under study are : Primary and secondary schools; higher educational schools and universities; National ministries; Regional and local authorities (regions, departments/counties, municipalities); Hospitals/clinics; museums; Libraries (word of caution). 

Different levels of equipment exist depending on categories and depending on the countries. Therefore this synthesis is composed of four parts:

• Part 1 : classification based on the level of web sites penetration by category ranging from Low to High. 

• Part 2 : synthesis per country relating main tendencies and a short explanation.

• Part 3 : percentage of websites per sector in the CEEC Countries

• Part 4 : Comparison of the quarterly evolution of web sites in different categories 

What is interesting to note is that most of the countries experienced a slight but constant growth in the majority of categories. Some of them, then, have shown sustained growth rates. Then we’ll see more in depth that two or three recurrent categories are usually considered as priorities, top priorities categories, as for Mediterranean countries, being High Schools & Universities and Ministries.

At last what is important to take in account is that this web sites level of equipment analysis gives a picture of the equipment in public institutions only, privates sectors being not considered. Evaluation of the level of equipment of a country has therefore to be considered cautiously.

This part consists of an overview of Web Sites evolution through the past 7 quarter, from July 1999 to January 2001.

First, we can notice that the level of Web Sites penetration is heterogeneous depending on the category. We distinguish low, intermediate and highly equipped categories.

Low level of equipment	Primary and Secondary schools Libraries
Intermediate level of equipment	Regional & Local Authorities Museums Hospitals / clinics
High level of equipment	High schools and universities  Ministries

Here below is an insight of countries being part of these three categories :

1.1 Low level of equipment:

• Primary & Secondary schools : Slovenia was the most largely equipped by mid 2000 even though data for the two following periods are missing. Estonia and Czech Republic have also experienced constant and sustained growth over the seven quarter of observation, respectively with 37.8 and 27% of web sites rates in the category. All others countries have shown rates of equipment lower than 20%.
   
• Libraries: Slovenia has yet shown the highest growth rate in this category with rising from 41.5% in Q3 up to 86% by Q5. The Slovenian rate has been steady since the first quarter of observation with a 50% rate of equipment. At last, Slovakia for its first period of observation in Q7 has appeared to be ranked second considering the level of equipment. All others countries except Lithuania (slightly over 10% ) have a level of equipment lower than 10%.

1.2 Intermediate level of equipment:

• Regional & Local Authorities: We can distinguish two kind of evolutions. The first kind gathers countries having evolved through the observed period below a 20% rate of equipment. All of them have shown a quasi steady evolution. The second kind are countries having experienced strong growth through the period with current rates above 50%. Three countries by order of ranking Bosnia (84.6%), Estonia (66.7%) then Poland (50.6%), are in this case. All others countries are in the other one. At last Slovenia was at an intermediate level by mid 2000 its last available rate being equal to 47%.
   
• Museums: This category is also at an intermediate level with countries ranging from insufficiently equipped to above 50% rates. Countries the most in advance in terms of web sites penetration in this category are Latvia (77.4%), Bosnia (60%) and Lithuania (93.6%). Note that unlike Latvia, which has decreased over the first two quarter from a 100% down to a steady 77.4% within the five next, Bosnia and Lithuania have shown the highest growths. Others countries range below 40%, Romania, Macedonia and Bulgaria being the least equipped ones.
   
• Hospitals/Clinics: This category counts six fairly equipped countries, of which Czech Republic and Hungary are the top countries with the highest growth rates. We can note the outstanding growth of Czech Republic which has increased its rate of penetration by 200% over the period of observation. Bosnia, Estonia and Bulgaria have also known significant growth rates, their current rates being comprised between 30 and 40%. All others countries have evolved below 20%.

1.3 High level of equipment:

• High Schools & Universities:. What is interesting to note when considering this category is that it appears to be part of the 2 top priorities concerning web sites equipment. Thus 4 countries, Bosnia, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia are fully equipped with a 100% rate. 3 others countries, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland and Czech Republic have reached current rates higher than 80%. We can notice that Latvia, Czech Republic and Estonia have experienced the highest growth rate through the period of observation, Estonia reaching 75% in this last quarter. Only FYR Macedonia, Romania and especially Albania are delayed with respective current rates equals to 28, 18 and 1% and a non evolution at all for 2 of them.
   
• Ministries: This category, as for the Mediterranean countries is the most updated one in terms of web sites equipment. Four countries, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, and Slovenia were already fully equipped at the beginning of the period and are still. Two countries, Latvia and Poland have reached a full penetration rate through the period. Slovakia which is present for the first time this quarter is also fully equipped. Others less equipped countries are FYR Macedonia, Albania and Romania with respective rates comprised between 60 and 70%. Note that Romania has decreased from 98 to 25% over the three first quarters before rising up continuously then. No country is currently under 59%.

• Albania : There are over 1500 primary schools and 1700 secondary schools in Albania and none of them have a web site. A LAN project is to be undertaken closed to universities by the Ministry of Education and Science. Changes related to Universities and Libraries are explained by the same Ministry contribution and also to the SOROS foundation. The same foundation is the only one to provide with a free internet service to institutions. Indeed, Internet services remain expensive due to the low level of use (4600 users in Albania). Albania appears to be one of the least equipped country in Central Europe.
   

• Bosnia & Herzegovina : Universities and Authorities are very well served. A rise is to be due in the others categories. Internet development is perceived as an opportunity for the economic expansion. Nevertheless the country is in a post war phase and many others points have also to be considered among others telecom infrastructure reconstruction. At last the Internet use is very limited and costs of use remain very high. Bosnia is basically located at an upper intermediate level compared to others Central European countries.
   

• Czech Republic : This country has experienced one of the highest if not the highest growth in terms of public web sites penetration. Czech Republic is at an intermediate level with its highest rates in High Schools & Universities, National Ministries and Hospitals/Clinics. Public administration institutions lack funds and therefore can’t have their own web sites, even though compromises have been done by hosting several institutions on a central site. It thus enables 100% of institutions to be represented among Regional & Local Authorities, Museums and Libraries categories.
   

• Bulgaria : no data available
  

• Estonia : Estonia has experienced constant increases in all categories except in Museums and in Libraries categories. Among highest growth rates are Primary & Secondary schools and Regional & Local Authorities. It is interesting to note that Estonia is the second most largely equipped CEEC country concerning the Primary & Secondary Schools category. Note also that the dramatic rise in the Regional & Local Authorities category is partially due to the absence of registering in directories and search engines before April 2000. National Ministries category is fully equipped and Universities category is the second best served category. To conclude what we notice is that Estonia is globally one of the Central European countries having experienced the highest growth rates through the period of observation. It is located at an upper intermediate level in terms of web sites penetration considering others Central European countries. Development of Internet web sites intended to non profit organisations is largely supported by "The Open Estonia Foundation".
   

• Hungary : High Schools & Universities and National Ministries categories are the most served categories with both of these ones fully equipped, since the beginning of ESIS II period for National Ministries. All Hungarian secondary schools have Internet Access thanks to the Sulinet Program, but all of them haven’t their own web site. Others categories don’t show a large web site penetration. The high difference between the two last quarters in Hospital/Clinics category is due to the change of statistical measures to evaluate their numbers. Hungary is located at a low level of equipment compared to others Central European countries.
   

• Latvia : High School & Universities and National Ministries categories are as always the most largely served categories. Note that all High Schools and Universities have gathered now enough financial resources and that the National Ministries category is fully equipped since quarter 6. Web Sites penetration is far less important in Primary & Secondary even if a new program was launched by the government to computerise schools. Museums were fully equipped at the beginning of the period thanks to an Australian specialist who put all of them on the Web. Then through quarter 3 the museum definition changed, what brought to the decrease due to the consideration of local museums (unequipped) as museums. All others categories have low levels of equipment. Latvia remains at a low level of equipment among others Central European countries.
   

• Lithuania : National Ministries and High Schools and Universities were fully equipped from the first quarter of observation. Web Sites increase in public institutions was low but Sites are better structured. Constant increases in Primary & Secondary schools category, then in Museums and Libraries were for a large part of them financed by the Lithuanian Soros Foundation (OSF), private funds and private companies. Thus a significant effort is made to promote Lithuanian art and culture as its outstanding growth and equipment rates show it. Lithuania is at an intermediate level in terms of Web Sites penetration compared to others Central European Countries.
   

• FYR Macedonia : Macedonia is one of the or the lowest equipped Central European country in terms of Web Sites penetration. Indeed, all categories show penetration rates amongst the lowest of the Central European countries. National Ministries, with a December 00 penetration rate of 71% is the most largely equipped category : its penetration rate has remained steady over the period, the slight increase between quarter 4 and 5 being due to the reduction in the number of ministries. Then except Universities and Hospitals/Clinics categories, all others categories have rates located below 10%. At last the equipment increase from 0 to 4% for Primary and Secondary Schools is explained by the OSIM’s (Open Society Institute – Macedonia) sponsorship.
   

• Poland : Universities and National Ministries categories are the most largely equipped with currently respectively 90 and 100% penetration rates, National Ministries being fully equipped for 4 quarters now. Regional & Local Authorities has experienced a strong growth over the period rising from 15 up to a current 51%. Others categories are located under 20%, even though all of them have had sustained constant growth. Poland in the overall is at an intermediate level compared to others Central European countries.
   

• Romania : Romania takes part of countries with the lower penetration. National Ministries with a 62% equipment rate is the most largely equipped category. High schools & Universities category has experienced a constant growth over the period of observation and is still expected to increase its number of Web Sites, mainly thanks to the connection of thus category to the RoEduNet network (Romanian Education Network). This network is intended to connect non profit institutions to the Internet. All other categories remain under 10% due mainly to the high and very scattered number of institutions and difficulties to find necessary funds. Regional & Local Authorities are expected to develop more in the short term.
   

• Slovakia : Slovakia started to participate while this quarter to the ESIS observation project. Data related to the current quarter are therefore only available. High Schools & Universities and National Ministries are fully equipped. Libraries category shows a significant penetration rates but are exclusive of municipal and schools ones. Museums has a 33% penetration rate. Primary & Secondary Schools are under equipped with a penetration rate closed to 0. Slovakia in the overall is located at a low intermediate level of equipment.
   

• Slovenia : Slovenia has seen the highest growth in the Primary & Secondary schools category and in the Libraries one. Penetration rates for both of these categories are also at the ranked first with rates next to 90%. It is also part of the most equipped countries concerning the majority of categories. Indeed Slovenia is fully equipped in the Ministries category and is part of the top 3 in Regional & Local Authorities (70%), High Schools and Universities (88.9%) and Hospitals/Clinics (53.9%) categories. To sum up, Slovenia is if not the most, one of the most largely equipped country compared to others CEEC countries.

3. Percentage of websites per sector in the CEEC Countries