CEC are organising an EFNET conference in Venice on September 12, 2003 with the support of CEN/ISSS and the European Commission. Admission is free and a lunch will be provided. All necessary information can be found on the website [http://www.cecshoe.be]. The conference is entitled The use of E-Business practices by SMEs in the Footwear sector. It will be held at the Villa Foscarini-Rossi (Via Doge Pisani _ StrA) in Venice and will be hosted by ANCI.

Following is the conference programme:

11h: Opening of the congress by A. Brotini (chairman CEC) and L Rossi (ANCI and CEO Rossi Moda)

11h15: Introduction by R Smets (managing director European Confederation of the Footwear Industry)

11h20: Video tape message by commissioner E liikanen

Key note speech: Dr. Büscher, European Commission/DG Enterprise

11h45: Report on the EFNET 1 and 2 (R Marchand – API-EDI). Objective: to show the added value for retail and manufacturer, disseminate the results, show the difficulties

12h10: Critical assessment and benchmarking exercise on EFNET 2 by H Tappert (Garant Shoe Mode AG) + question time. Objective: to show the added value for the retailer on an EU level, why does the market need standards, when will the market use them, are we advanced compared with other sectors?

12h40: E-commerce in practice between manufacturers and retailers in the textile industry John Kerlin (Futura) and Harald Pranke (Pranke). Objective: what is the added value for retailers and manufacturers to have e-integration? And this from the point of view of the software suppliers. Risks, opportunities and added value will be explained.

13h: Lunch

14h: Report of EFNET 3 by G Polidori and D Zingoni (CESECA) + question time. Objective: show how interoperability of cad software gives added value and the need of a standard?

14h30: Critical assessment and benchmarking exercise of EFNET 3 by G Mansfield (Crispin dynamics). Objective: why is EFNET 3 useful for cad software suppliers and should they use the future standard?

14h50: The need of standards in e-commerce by J Ketchell (CEN/ISSS), M Baker (Tor consulting) and A Michalowski (EAN International). Objective: The added value of standarisation and global data synchronisation.

15h20: E-commerce developments in Euroshoe, the link with EFNET 2 and 3 by S Dulio and Andrea Chiodi (Euroshoe – ITIA). Objective: why does euroshoe need standarisation? How does euroshoe bring added-value to the sector?

15h40: Question time

16h: Coffee break

16h30: ‘SHOENET: collaborative work in the shoe industry’ by E Montiel (Inescop). Objective: How to supports SMEs from the shoe sector in Spain to work in a collaborative way using a work tool based on the Internet and using multiway solutions to implement diverse systems in the value chain.

16h50: The whole E-integration of the value chain in the 6th Framework program of DG R & D (H Felzmann). Objective: why does the value chain need to be e-integrated, what will be the impact on the small manufacturer and retailer?

17h10: Question time

17h30: Closing by ANCI and CEC