From 456 Berea Street, Roger Johansson makes note of a EU declaration to "ensure that all public websites are accessible by 2010". This ministerial commitment is in fact quite broad in scope, including commitments to accessibility in the sense of access to an internet connection.

The official press release states:

Many Europeans still get too little benefit from information and communication technologies, and millions are at risk of being left behind. Enabling all Europeans to participate on equal terms in the information society is not only a social necessity – it is a huge economic opportunity for industry.

They also intend to increase the availability of broadband coverage to at least 90% in Europe by 2010. This doesn’t require any change to the current urban infrastructure, but would require the expansion of the rural infrastructure from its current 60% coverage.

This is a powerful commitment, and certainly raises hopes for the future of web accessibility.