The 2013 European Commission Communication on Opening up Education underlined the importance of solid evidence to assess developments and take full advantage of the impact of technology on education, and called for sustained effort and international cooperation to improve our knowledge-base in this area. The International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) is an important new contribution to this knowledge base on digital competences and the integration of technology in teaching and learning. The study is carried out by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), and supported by the European Commission's Directorate-general for Education and Culture. ICILS is the first ever internationally comparable study assessing students' computer and information literacy. 60,000 eighth graders in more than 3,300 schools from 21 education systems, including 9 European Union countries, were surveyed and assessed. Key findings and implications for EU education policy include: (1) Many "digital natives" are not digitally competent--school has a key role to play; (2) There is a need to address gender gaps and assure a comprehensive approach to the development of digital competences in school; (3) The pedagogical use of ICT in schools remains constrained, and more emphasis should be given to ICT use that supports active teaching practices; (4) Targeted professional development is needed to equip teachers for effective pedagogical use of ICT; and (5) Collaborative school environments and channels for cooperation and exchange can act as multipliers for the innovative use of ICT in teaching and learning. Two annexes are included: (1) The concept of computer and information literacy as assessed in ICILS; and (2) Description of CIL achievement scale.