Ms. Schaake: Don’t blindly follow the U.S. (my opinion)
Tuesday 20 November members of the Euro Parliament will meet to draft a resolution on WCIT. Marietje Schaake has posted a draft from the ALDE group at http://www.marietjeschaake.eu/2012/11/request-for-comments-draft-parliamentary-resolution-on-wcit-2012/ (below) and included her email. It seems a serious request for comments.
She calls for free speech and net neutrality and many other good things. But nowhere does she make concrete proposals for a development agenda. There are no proposals for change, as though we are living in the best of all possible worlds. The current Internet system is miserably failing 2/3rds of the people of the world, who have no connection. Her beloved “free markets” are great when they work, but even in rich countries the corporate system is doing a poor job of reaching the rural and poor. Most of Africa and India are rural and poor; competition works some places but has failed in others.
It’s Western arrogance to ignore the urgency of expanding the net. It’s also a terrible way to win hearts and minds. Good to see a politician working in the open.
Ms. Schaake: Don’t blindly follow the U.S. (my opinion)
Tuesday 20 November members of the Euro Parliament will meet to draft a resolution on WCIT. Marietje Schaake has posted a draft from the ALDE group at http://www.marietjeschaake.eu/2012/11/request-for-comments-draft-parliamentary-resolution-on-wcit-2012/ (below) and included her email. It seems a serious request for comments.
She calls for free speech and net neutrality and many other good things. But nowhere does she make concrete proposals for a development agenda. There are no proposals for change, as though we are living in the best of all possible worlds. The current Internet system is miserably failing 2/3rds of the people of the world, who have no connection. Her beloved “free markets” are great when they work, but even in rich countries the corporate system is doing a poor job of reaching the rural and poor. Most of Africa and India are rural and poor; competition works some places but has failed in others.
It’s Western arrogance to ignore the urgency of expanding the net. It’s also a terrible way to win hearts and minds. Good to see a politician working in the open.
Request for comments: Draft Parliamentary resolution on WCIT-2012
16.11.2012Posted in: Digital Agenda, Internet Freedom, Internet Politics, parliamentary work, Top Stories
Next week the European Parliament will have a debate on the upcoming WCIT-2012 in Dubai.
All the political Groups in the Parliament are currently working on their draft Resolution, setting out their ideas and priorities. Tuesday next week, in Strasbourg, MEPs will work on a joint text. I’m working on the draft text for the Liberal Group (ALDE), and would like to take your ideas and comments on board.
Please let me know what you think of the draft text below and send me all our ideas and comments on marietje.schaake@europarl.europa.eu
Thank you.
Best wishes,
Marietje Schaake
=======
European Parliament resolution on the Forthcoming World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-2012) of the International Telecommunications Union, and the possible expansion of the scope of international telecommunication regulations
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Directive 2009/140/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 amending Directives 2002/21/EC on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services, 2002/19/EC on access to, and interconnection of, electronic communications networks and associated facilities, and 2002/20/EC on the authorisation of electronic communications networks and services,
– having regard to Directive 2009/136/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 amending Directive 2002/22/EC on universal service and users’ rights relating to electronic communications networks and services, Directive 2002/58/EC concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector and Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws,
– having regard to the Directive 2002/77/EC of 16 September 2002 on competition in the markets for electronic communications networks and services,
– having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 17 November 2011 on the open internet and net neutrality inEurope,
– having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 15 June 2010 entitled ‘Internet governance: the next steps,’
– having regard to the Commission proposal for a Council decision on Establishing the EU Position for the review of the International Telecommunications Regulations to be taken at the World Conference on International Telecommunications or its preparatory instances COM(2012) 430 final,
– having regard to Rule 110 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. The International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) were adopted by the World Administrative Telegraphy and Telephone Conference inMelbournein 1988 and have not been revised since;
B. The 27 Member States of the European Union are signatories of these ITRs;
C. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has called for a meeting inDubaifrom 3 until 14 December 2012, named the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), to agree to a new text for these ITRs
Calls on the Council and Commission to ensure that any changes to the International Telecommunication Regulations will be compatible with the EU acquis and further the Union’s objectives and interests to advance the internet as a public place, where human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly freedom of expression and assembly, are respected, as well as free market principles, net neutrality and entrepreneurship are ensured;
Stresses that some ITRs reform proposals being presented by the member nations of the ITU would negatively impact the internet, its architecture, operations, content, security, business relations, internet governance and the free flow of information online;
Is concerned that among these ITU reform proposals there is the establishment of specific interconnection charging mechanisms, which could seriously threat the open and competitive nature of the internet by driving up prices and hurting innovation;
Believes that as a consequence of some of the proposals presented, the ITU itself could become the ruling power of the Internet which could end the present bottom-up multi-stakeholder model;
Believes that the ITU, or any other single international institution, is not the appropriate body to assert regulatory authority over the Internet;
Calls on the EU Member States to prevent any changes to the International Telecommunication Regulations which would be harmful to the openness of the Internet, net neutrality, access to creative content online and the participatory governance entrusted to multiple actors such as governments, supranational institutions, non-governmental organisations, and large and small private operators, and the ‘internet public’ consisting of users and consumers;
Calls on the Council to give the mandate to the Commission to negotiate the revision of the ITRs on behalf of the European Union which should be based on inclusively gathered input of multiple stakeholders;