[P2P-F] Fwd: [opennetcoalition] EU Parliament Massively Commits to Net Neutrality and Open Internet

[Michel Bauwens]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: La Quadrature du Net <jz at laquadrature.net>
Date: Thu, Nov 17, 2011 at 6:43 PM
Subject: [opennetcoalition] EU Parliament Massively Commits to Net
Neutrality and Open Internet
To: opennetcoalition at laquadrature.net


La Quadrature du Net - For immediate release

Permanent link:
https://www.laquadrature.net/en/eu-parliament-massively-commits-to-net-neutrality-and-open-internet


EU Parliament Massively Commits to Net Neutrality and Open Internet


*** Paris, November 17th, 2011 – The European Parliament today massively
adopted its resolution on Net neutrality, calling on the EU Commission to
protect the open Internet, which is put at risk by an increasing number of
restrictions imposed by telecoms operators. This overall positive
resolution urges EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes to depart from her failed
wait-and-see approach by rapidly assessing the need for further regulation
to keep the Internet open and free. This votes represent a political
commitment by the European Parliament to protecting the Internet from any
form of restriction or censorship. ***

The EU Parliament's adoption of a resolution on Net neutrality [1] by a
massive majority comes at a timely moment, as the EU Commissioner for the
Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes keeps denying [2] the illegitimate restrictions
to Internet access imposed by operators that are reported all over Europe,
as evidenced by the citizen platform RespectMyNet.

This vote is also a signal sent to BEREC – the body of EU telecoms
regulators, which is expected to soon release its anticipated study on Net
neutrality violations [3] – as the Members of the EU Parliament point to
the dangers of access restrictions for freedom of communication, as well as
competition and innovation in the digital economy.

Even though the resolution contains loopholes [4], it is a strong political
statement in favour of an open Internet. In particular, the Parliament
requires the Commission to swiftly assess the need for further regulation
to protect Net neutrality, as soon as BEREC concludes its fact-finding
exercise [5].

“EU telecoms operators already violate Net neutrality in large numbers [6]
by illegitimately restricting Internet access. If Commissioner Neelie Kroes
is really committed to defending freedom of expression, as she has claimed
in the past, she must act accordingly by imposing Net neutrality by law, as
was done in the Netherlands. Today's massive vote by EU Parliament
certainly increases the pressure on the Commission to effectively guarantee
competition and innovation as well as citizens' freedom of expression and
privacy online. As the EU Parliament commits to defending the Net's
openness, it should now act by further pushing for an effective regulation
and rejecting any attempt at imposing Internet access restrictions or
censorship in the name of an obsolete copyright regime, such as ACTA.”,
said Jérémie Zimmermann, spokesperson of citizen advocacy group La
Quadrature du Net.


* References *

1.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2011-0572&language=EN

2. See Mrs. Kroes' recent declaration against the Dutch Net neutrality law:
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/regulation/2011/10/03/kroes-attacks-dutch-net-neutrality-rules-40094084/

3. Release of the Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications'
(BEREC) study on Internet traffic management practices is expected for
February 2012.

4. See our short analysis of the text, published just after the committee
vote last month:
https://www.laquadrature.net/en/net-neutrality-resolution-adopted-in-eu-parliament

5. The resolution “calls on the Commission consequently to guard that
Internet Service Providers do not block, discriminate against, impair, or
degrade the ability of any person to use a service to access, use, send,
post, receive, or offer any content, application, or service of their
choice irrespective of source or target”

6. See: http://www.respectmynet.eu



** About la Quadrature du Net **


La Quadrature du Net is an advocacy group that promotes the rights and
freedoms of citizens on the Internet. More specifically, it advocates for
the adaptation of French and European legislations to respect the founding
principles of the Internet, most notably the free circulation of knowledge.

In addition to its advocacy work, the group also aims to foster a better
understanding of legislative processes among citizens. Through specific and
pertinent information and tools, La Quadrature du Net hopes to encourage
citizens' participation in the public debate on rights and freedoms in the
digital age.

La Quadrature du Net is supported by French, European and international
NGOs including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Society
Institute and Privacy International.

List of supporting organisations:
https://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-la-quadrature-du-net


** Press contact and press room **

Jérémie Zimmermann, jz at laquadrature.net, +33 (0)615 940 675

http://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room



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