Brussels, 08/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Telecom Council on Thursday is expected to announce political agreement on the EU's 'Safer Internet Plus' programme for 2005-2008, with particular emphasis on safer internet usage by children. The Council will exchange views on the future of information and communications technology (ITC) and adopt conclusions on the World Information Society Summit and how to combat spam.
In a public hearing, the Council will adopt a decision to establish the multi-annual Safer Internet Plus programme, with an expected budget of EUR 45 million following the vote in first reading by the European Parliament. The Commission had suggested EUR 50 million in four tranches: 25-30% for combating illegal content; 10-17% for combatting spam; 8-12% for encouraging a safer environment; and 47-51% to raise awareness.
The Council will also discuss the future of ITC post-2005 and adopt a resolution as part of the mid-term review of the Lisbon Process. Ministers will focus on the interim period in which the EU currently finds itself, between the end of the infrastructure creation phase and the start of the new 'deployment' phase focussed on the end-user.
The EU's telecom ministers will adopt conclusions on combatting spam that highlight the changing nature of unwanted e-mail and the threats it poses to society. The Council will look at initiatives following the World Information Society Summit in Geneva in December 2003 and will examine major obstacles to global internet governance ahead of the next World Information Society Summit (in Tunisia in November 2005).