Europeans get more digital but continent divided

The European Union says Europeans' online connections and skills are improving but there's still too large a gap between the Nordic front-runners and laggards in the continent's south and east.

The EU's Digital Economy and Society Index, released Friday, showed Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands leading a survey that measures countries' performance in areas including connectivity, digital skills and the digitization of businesses and public services. Romania finished last, followed by Bulgaria, Greece and Italy.

The EU's executive Commission said 79 percent of Europeans go online at least once per week, 3 percentage points higher than last year.

Commission Vice President Andrus Ansip said "Europe is gradually becoming more digital but many countries need to step up their efforts." He added: "we do not want a two-speed digital Europe."