[P2P-F] Fwd: [opennetcoalition] Net Neutrality: the Member States and Commission about to turn their back on the Parliament's Vote!

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: La Quadrature du Net <contact at laquadrature.net>
Date: Sat, Jan 24, 2015 at 12:11 AM
Subject: [opennetcoalition] Net Neutrality: the Member States and
Commission about to turn their back on the Parliament's Vote!
To: opennetcoalition at laquadrature.net


Themes: NET NEUTRALITY, COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, GUNTHER OETTINGER

La Quadrature du Net – For immediate release

Permanent link:
https://www.laquadrature.net/en/net-neutrality-the-member-states-and-commission-about-to-turn-their-back-on-the-parliaments-vote


Net Neutrality: the Member States and Commission about to turn their back
on the Parliament's Vote!



*** Paris, 23 January 2015 – On January 20th, La Quadrature du Net along
with other European organisations co-signed an open letter [1] calling once
more the EU's Member States to adopt clear and strict rules to protect Net
Neutrality. However, a negociation document [2] shows that at the same
moment, Member States were one towards the end of a free Internet. It is
time for the European Parliament to get back to work on this issue and
defend a real protection of Net Neutrality, against oligopolistic
strategies of the large Internet actors backed by governments. ***

Just as civil society was calling the Council of the European Union to
protect Net Neutrality, the latter was studying a negociation document [3]
showing it is about to allow unacceptable violations of this founding
principle of the Internet, casting away once and for all the European
Parliament's vote [4] of April 2014.

This vote in the Parliament had been a strong sign in favour of the rights
of European citizens and their interests in Net neutrality. It suggested a
balanced compromise based on a precise and strict definition of Net
neutrality. The adopted dispositions also allowed operators to develop
innovative access offers (“specialised services”) while maintaining the
non-discrimination principle in order to simultaneously protect users'
freedom of choice, competition among access and applications providers and
innovations newcomers may bring.

The short term interests of large telco operators and Internet giants must
not dictate public policy. Today, in light of the national governments and
European Commissioner Günther Oettinger's maneuvers, it is time for the
European Parliament elected in last May to take the matters in its own
hands and prove it is determined to defend last spring's positive
development.

As an unprecedented citizen movement in favor of Net neutrality is taking
place in the USA and Barack Obama recently called for a determined
protection of this principle, Members of the European Parliament must play
their part in the international debate and ensure Europe leads the way with
a legislation that protects a Free Internet.

La Quadrature du Net calls on all Members of the European Parliament to
urgently take part in the ongoing debate and reaffirm their attachment to
last spring's agreement, refusing Internet giants and large operators'
oligopolistic leanings as well as the Commission and the Member States
guilty complicity.


* References *

1. http://www.laquadrature.net/files/NN_letter_to_ambassadors_20150120.pdf
2.
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2015/jan/eu-council-net-neutrality-5439-15.pdf
3.
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2015/jan/eu-council-net-neutrality-5439-15.pdf
4.
https://www.laquadrature.net/en/net-neutrality-a-great-step-forward-for-the-free-internet




** About La Quadrature du Net **


La Quadrature du Net is an advocacy group that defends 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 **

contact at laquadrature.net, +33 (0)972 294 426

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




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