Brussels, 18/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - Over 80 organisations active in protecting digital rights, and that are members of the European consumers' organisation (BEUC) and European Digital Rights (EDRi), sent a letter to the European Commission on 17 April, calling on it to put an end to the “dangerous experimentation with the functioning of the internet in Europe and the protection of the principles of openness and neutrality”. The same groups denounce experimentation on the part of certain access providers that block, filter and throttle services, thus creating artificial borders that prevent users from enjoying free and open access to data. “The internet's unique value is openness (…). This reckless experimentation will continue unless the European Commission puts a stop to it”, said Joe McNamee, EDRi Director. The organisations point out that the commissioner responsible for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, expressed her commitment in 2010 to the protection of internet neutrality. “Since then, however, the Commission has not done much apart from using consultations to evade its obligations”, the signatories say. BEUC and EDRi fear that the recommendations soon to be published by the Commission on internet neutrality will be based on meaningless safeguards, such as the possibility of switching operators and an obligation for each operator to have at least one full internet offer. “It is time the EU built on the example of the Netherlands and Slovenia and introduced legal protection against arbitrary interferences with communication”, in the event of manipulation of the internet, McNamee points out. (IL/transl.jl)