Brussels, 03/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - Socialist and Democrat and Green MEPs are happy after managing, with GUE and Liberal (ALDE) support, to scrape together the votes needed for adoption of the amendments they had put down to ensure genuine net neutrality, in the plenary session voting on the connected continent package in the European Parliament on Thursday 3 April.
The report by Pilar del Castillo (EPP, Spain) was adopted by 534 votes to 25, with 58 abstentions. Parliament also voted to ban roaming fees and to improve radio spectrum management, as proposed by the European Commission. Del Castillo is pleased: “Today's vote is an important step in strengthening the single market in telecommunications”, she stated. Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes, too, is relieved that Parliament moved so quickly and gave its backing to the proposed package. “It's a great result. I could not be more satisfied. … This vote is the EU delivering for citizens. This is what the EU is all about - getting rid of barriers to make life easier and less expensive”, she said.
Net neutrality. The issue of internet neutrality has been the focus of all the attention of interested parties over the last few months, those defending the net arguing there would be a two-speed internet if the Commission proposal was not supported on this issue. This concern was picked up by the S&D and Greens/EFA Groups, which put down amendments to the del Castillo report, in order to ensure strict rules of specialised services so that they did not cause any deterioration of internet connections. After these amendment failed to garner the required number of votes to be adopted in the industry committee on 18 March, an intensive campaign was conducted by supporters of the net neutrality, spearheaded by La Quadrature du Net, forcing Commissioner Kroes to put her head above the parapet and argue her position (see EUROPE 11052). The report was finally amended to the satisfaction of the Socialists and Greens in plenary session. A precise definition of “specialised services” was added to the text, so that there can be no confusion with “internet access services”, along with a compulsory reference to the principle of net neutrality. Specialised services, such as video on demand and business-critical data-intensive “cloud” (data storage) applications, will be authorised so long as they do not affect the speed or quality of consumer access. MEPs also reduced the list of “exceptional” cases proposed by the Commission, which would allow access providers to block or slow the internet. These practices should be permitted only to enforce a court order, preserve network security or prevent temporary network congestion, say MEPs. If such “traffic management measures” are used, they must be “transparent, non-discriminatory and proportionate” and “not be maintained longer than necessary”, they add. “Protection of net neutrality has allowed us to support the single market in global telecommunications. Such protection is crucial both for consumers and for companies as it will provide certainty to the telecoms sector and will bring investment, growth and job creation”, said Catherine Trautmann (S&D, France), responsible for this matter on behalf of her group. Speaking for the Greens/EFA, Sandrine Bélier (France) and Philippe Lamberts (Belgium) hailed the “will of the Parliament to refuse any impediment to net neutrality and yet another victory for public and digital liberty”.
La Quadrature du Net, too, is happy. In a press release, it says: “Members of the European Parliament [have taken] a historic step for the protection of Net Neutrality and the Internet commons in the European Union. La Quadrature du Net warmly thanks all citizens, organisations and parliamentarians who took part in this campaign, and calls on them to remain mobilised for the rest of the legislative procedure”.
Roaming fees. Another of the connected continent package's flagship measures proposed by the Commission is the end of roaming fees by the end of 2015. This is a measure backed by Parliament. MEPs did, however, amend the text to end these fees (for using a mobile phone to call, send text messages or access the internet in another EU country) from 15 December 2015 precisely. If roaming services are abused, however, capped charges could exceptionally be imposed, MEPs say.
Radio spectrum. MEPs also supported Commission proposals on improving management of radio frequencies, so as to allow activation of new mobile applications with the roll out of 4G and 5G, in an effort to boost innovation.
Parliament underlines that it has approved the connected continent package on first reading with the aim of consolidating the work done hitherto and submitting it to the next Parliament. This will allow those elected in May to continue the work begun in the current term of office. The Council of Ministers will adopt its position prior to a final agreement, planned between now and the end of 2015. (IL)