Tag: European Parliament

Today the European Parliament voted on the European Telecoms Single Market proposal, a major legislative achievement protecting net neutrality that will have a crucial impact on how European users experience the internet for generations.

After six months of negotiations, the European Parliament will finally vote on the proposal for a Telecoms Single Market in one week. This proposal was initially designed to deliver the promise of enshrining net neutrality as law across Europe. Yet unless the European Parliament rises to the challenge next week, they may actually end up undermining net neutrality net through unclear and confusing legislation.

Today the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee of the European Parliament voted on the European Telecoms Single Market proposal. With its provisions that put net neutrality at risk, this contentious E.U. legislation will have a critical impact on how European users experience the internet since across the continent.

Today, the European Parliament adopted the Data Protection Regulation and Directive, commonly referred to as the Data Protection Reform Package (DPR). This vote represents another crucial step towards protecting European user data and the completion of the long-awaited reform proposed by the European Commission back in January 2012.

Today, the European Parliament adopted its report and recommendations stemming from its investigation of the mass surveillance programmes of the NSA and GCHQ on E.U. citizens. The report, which was drafted over the course of 15 inquiry hearings conducted by the European Parliament civil liberties (LIBE) committee, heard testimony about the impact of the programmes revealed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden on the fundamental rights of European citizens.

Earlier this week the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee of the European Parliament was scheduled to vote on the European Telecoms Single Market proposal, legislation critical to determining the future of network neutrality in Europe. But instead of voting on Monday, the Committee decided to postpone the vote — because of a problem with plastic bags.

On Monday, 24 February, the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee of the European Parliament will vote on the European Commission’s Telecoms Single Market proposal. This proposal includes provisions that put the future of the internet at risk as if not adequately amended, it would allow telcos to restrict the rights of internet users and establish a two-tiered internet in Europe.

In September 2013, the European Commission presented its proposed regulation for a single market for electronic communications (see Access’s analysis here). The Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee is the lead committee for this proposal and will provide its final report on February 24, before the legislative proposal is voted on by the full European Parliament in early April 2014.

Access welcomes yesterday’s vote in the LIBE Committee, which addressed several of the problematic provisions and proved its commitment to protecting the internet as a platform for free expression and innovation.

Yesterday, the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) presented its final report on the activities of the American and British spy agencies surveillance programmes and their impact on E.U. citizens’ fundamental rights.