Brussels - Some 80 per cent of European Union web surfers now have fast-speed broadband connections, but nearly 40 per cent of all EU citizens still do not use the internet at all, an EU study published Friday found.

According to the European Commission's latest Information and Communication Technologies Progress Report, the use of the internet is spreading rapidly across the continent, with some 250 million EU citizens - or more than half the total population - now regularly exploring the world wide web.

Of these, nearly 80 per cent have broadband connections, up from just under 50 per cent in 2005.

But almost 40 per cent of European citizens still do not send emails or know how to google.

The percentage of internet illiterates ranges from 69 per cent in Romania to 13 per cent in Denmark and the Netherlands.

The commission is keen to spread the use of the internet in all member states and notes that 60 per cent of public services in the EU are now fully available online.

"Some parts of the EU are still lagging behind and are not fully connected," said Viviane Reding, the EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media.

"All EU countries must therefore work harder to close the gaps, to enhance cross-border communication services as well as services that also reach rural and remote regions," she added. (dpa)