"There is an increasing awareness among European policy-makers about the crucial role of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) for European Competitiveness. However, the instrumental role of software in this context is often overlooked. With market revenues of 200 billion € in Europe and growths rates of between 6 and 8%, software is the largest and the fastest growing segment of the ICT market. More importantly, software is embedded within the majority of products we use today and a key enabler for innovation, growth and employment in almost all sectors of the economy. Software has become the nerve-centre of all modern economies."