Brussels, 25/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 23 May, Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes made an appeal for regulating the internet. French President Nicolas Sarkozy made a similar appeal the day before at the opening of the first “e-G8” (G8 of the internet) in Paris. This event was a prelude to the G8 on 26-27 May in Deauville. The commissioner explained that “this e-G8 is a way of taking digital issues seriously and is a step in the right direction. Nonetheless, it is necessary for it to produce concrete measures that will have to be applied in the member states.” Outlining a number of ways to promote the European regulatory strategy, particularly by way of providing high-speed access to all inhabitants of the 27 member states (100 Mbit per second) by 2013, she also provided assurances that unless consultation and determination is lacking, the EU would impose single market regulatory measures.
With regard to the question of internet regulation, the commissioner explained that “in certain cases rules are essential, particularly with regard to global issues” like those resulting from internet use. On the question of internet regulation she said that “it is not enough to introduce our own small European scale rules… even if Europe has a single digital market and has something to say about the matter”. The commissioner said that it was necessary to regulate practices efficiently and provide assurances for those who are involved in this question, by way of a consultation of all stakeholders, including the banks and civil society.
In his opening speech, President Sarkozy underlined the reasons justifying European intervention - the fight against the internet being exploited by terrorist groups, respect for copyright, the prevention of online monopolies, and child protection.
In a press release, French Green MEP, Malika Benarab-Attou, coordinator for her group at the European Parliament's culture and education committee, relayed some of the concerns expressed by NGOs and free internet activists such as Quadrature du Net, regretting that the e-G8 had not allowed internet users to speak and that they had been blatantly absent from the forum. If they had attended, a vision which was not exclusively economic would have been developed. She deplored the fact that “this supposed ' forum' mainly brought information technology multinationals together”. She declared that citizens, especially young people, should have universal and open internet access and that they need to use all the different resources available to prevent attempts to make the internet a tool of repression and control. BEUC, the European Consumers Association, also criticised the total absence of consumer representatives with participation being limited to industry, copyright owners and companies, which raised some serious concerns about this forum. ETNO, the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association, was pleased with the forum, which it said confirmed the key role of the internet in everyday life and business and the need to provide a comprehensive response to the challenges facing the industry throughout the digital chain.
During the two days (24-25 May), almost all the big names from the internet such as Facebook, Google, Ebay and Microsoft, used the opportunity of the e-G8 to put forward their vision of the web and the economic model that should be implemented to ensure its development and sustainability. The internet sector accounts for 3.4% of GDP in 13 countries (the G8, in addition to Brazil, China, India, South Korea and Sweden) and has contributed to 10% of their growth over the past five years, according to a study carried out by McKinsey consultants and unveiled during the e-G8. This very first G8 forum on the internet discussed the internet and economic growth, internet and society, the future internet and intellectual property. It was followed by a variety of different thematic workshops. (I.L./transl.fl)