Brussels, 17/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 17 January, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the European strategy to adopt on internet governance. Commission Meglena Kuneva had previously expressed the European Commission's position to MEPs on the priorities it intends implementing in the future, following the results from a forum on internet governance (IGF) in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) on 12-15 November. The commissioner stressed that the Commission was delighted with the forum (the forum did not have any decision-making powers) because it enables all stakeholders in the world to hold a genuine exchange of views in total freedom, and without being compelled to finalise a binding text. The first of these took place in Athens in 2006. European Union priorities include the continued development of digital processing and child protection on the internet. The commissioner explained that these subjects are expected to be consistently included on the international agenda.
Although the IGF does not adopt formal conclusions, the resolution indicated that the European Union is responsible for supporting this process insofar as it creates a positive and concrete context for the definition of the internet's future on the basis of a multi-lateral approach. The resolution explains that lessons can now be learned from the productive exchanges made during previous IGFs, particularly those on regulating e-mail, data security and private life questions. The resolution underlines the need to guarantee freedom of expression and an open and independent internet in the future, based on the initiatives and needs of the players involved. MEPs are calling on the European institutions to take the Tunis agenda into account in their legislative work, particularly the review of the electronic telecommunications framework, revision of the i2010 and greater internet access. Speaking on behalf of the EPP-ED, Anders Wijkman from Sweden indicated that although the internet was at the source of the digital divide, it would also help promote unprecedented dialogue between one part of the world and another. He said that the internet had to be a development tool and the EU had an important role to play internationally to end this digital divide. Catherine Trautmann, representing the Socialist Group, welcomed the discussions at the Rio forum and important subjects defended by the EU, such as freedom of expression, cultural diversity and child protection. Trautmann said that Europe is at the cutting edge of legislation but also pointed out that there were still legal and regulatory questions to do with revision of the telecom package. The MEP supports the idea of a European IGF, with participants from national parliaments and the local authorities: a European forum by 2009 and perhaps a world forum in Europe, with Lithuania as a candidate for 2010, she hoped. Toomas Savi (ALDE, Estonia) highlighted public services on the internet that facilitated direct participation of citizens in public life. The MEPs said that internet training should be provided to children at school from a very young age. He also underlined the universal character of the internet because it had succeeded in creating a universal language where Esperanto had failed. Ryszard Czarnecki (Poland, non-attached) compared the internet to a knife with a double edge, which could be both formidable tool and something to be feared. He was delighted that internet governance and child protection were European Union priorities. The MEP affirmed that tasks in the near future would require efforts to create greater internet access for people, and security networks. He asserted that technological developments can improve living conditions for poor people and welcomed the choice of Delhi to host the next forum. This city is particularly representative because it is a country at the cutting edge of development technology but also has to confront the problem of poverty.
Malcolm Harbour favours cooperation between competent bodies at a non-governmental level, which he believes provides excellent results. He also affirmed that the Commission had come up with quite weak proposals and said that it is important for the European Union to draw on good practices in other countries. Spanish Socialist, Francesca Pleguezulos Aguilar highlighted efforts that needed to be made by the EU, especially those involving digital services. She declared that Europe had to help the information society be seen as a “social benefit” for countries that needed it and which also needed Europe's leadership. Lambert Van Nistelrooij (EPP-ED, Netherlands) demonstrated his commitment to organising a European forum, as advocated by Ms Trautmann, in which national parliaments should also be involved. He also supported a different approach for greater efficiency in actions taken to meet the challenges of the internet and explained that the European Union had the necessary budget to do it but had to do so more efficiently. (I.L.)