Brussels, 18/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 18 June, the European Commission, in a strategic document, called for more transparency and multilateral accountability in the governance of the internet. At present, a private US-based body, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), is responsible for coordinating key elements of the internet. While accepting that private companies should continue to take the lead in the day-to-day management of the operation of the internet, the Commission wants them to be accountable and independent. It also believes that decisions about the internet, especially those about openness and security, should be taken in a transparent and accountable manner because they affect everyone around the globe. ICANN currently operates under a Joint Project Agreement (JPA) which expires on 30 September 2009. In the European Commission's view, future internet governance arrangements should reflect the key role that the global network has come to play for all countries. “The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is approaching a historic point in its development. Will it become a fully independent organisation, accountable to the global internet community? Europeans would expect so, and this is what we will push for,” said EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding. The Commission Communication, Internet governance: the next steps, is available at: http: //ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/internet_gov/index_en.htm (I.L./transl.rt)