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European Regional Bureau Newsletter: 11 November – 19 November 2017
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<span style="font-family:'Hind Light';color:#3a82e4">Internet Access</span>
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<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">EU: Is a compromise on spectrum getting closer?</span>
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<span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The Working Party on Telecommunications and Information Society is meeting on November 22 to discuss the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC)</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">In a leaked</span> <a href="https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/POLITICO-Council-telecoms-code-reform-negotiation-document-Nov-8.pdf?utm_source=POLITICO.EU&utm_campaign=dd1d1f9bcd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_16&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_10959edeb5-dd1d1f9bcd-190136225"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">document</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">, the Estonian presidency of the Council invites the telecoms WP to find a compromise on certain spectrum provisions on that occasion. The specific texts on this, however, have not yet been circulated.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">In the previous WP meeting, the Member States representatives discussed issues including license lengths and the implementing acts that the Commission would be able to adopt to harmonise certain aspects of the rules on spectrum.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Spectrum is a highly debated aspect of the EECC, currently being discussed by the co-legislators in trialogue meetings. On this issue the positions of the Parliament and the Council differ quite extensively, with the Council favouring more freedom for Member States to define their own spectrum rules.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Negotiations started in October and the next trialogue will take place on December 6 and will largely focus on spectrum.</span>            <p style="text-align:justify">
<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">EU: Vice-President Ansip addresses net neutrality and restriction of access</span>
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<span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">On November 14, European Commission Vice-President Andrus Ansip</span> <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getAllAnswers.do?reference=E-2017-005328&language=IT"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">answered</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> a</span> <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+WQ+E-2017-005328+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=it"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">parliamentary written question</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> by Julia Reda (Greens, DE) on net neutrality and</span><span style="font-family:'Hind Light'"></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">restriction of access in EU Member States. MEP Reda inquired whether Internet access service in an EU country could restrict access to information, content, applications or services where an end-user has agreed to such restriction.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Vice-President Ansip said that the 2015</span> <a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32015R2120&from=IT"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Regulation</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> on open Internet access</span><span style="font-family:'Hind Light'"></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">sets out the right of end-users to access and distribute information and content, use and provide applications and services, and use terminal equipment of their choice via their Internet access service. However, providers of Internet access services shall not block or interfere with specific content, unless specified by the Regulation. No exception is provided for end-user consent.</span>            <p style="text-align:justify">
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<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">EU: Commissioner Gabriel answers question on WiFi4EU programme</span>
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<span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">On November 14, European Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel,</span> <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getAllAnswers.do?reference=E-2017-005386&language=EN"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">answered</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> a</span> <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=WQ&reference=E-2017-005386&format=XML&language=EN"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">parliamentary written question</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> by MEP Eva Maydell (EPP, BG) on the</span> <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/policies/wifi4eu-free-wi-fi-europeans"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Free Wi-Fi for Europeans</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> (WiFi4EU) scheme.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Commissioner Gabriel pointed out that the text adopted by the European Parliament agreed that only public sector bodies could submit a proposal and are eligible for funds for local wireless connectivity (including libraries, hospitals etc.).</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The first call for proposals will be addressed to municipalities and group of municipalities only given its “pilot” nature.</span>            <p style="text-align:justify;margin-bottom:10.000000pt">
<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">EU: updated Council position on copyright reform</span>
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<span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The Estonian presidency has updated its definition of the types of Internet companies which will need to better monitor their platforms for copyright violations.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">This change is part of the ongoing and controversial copyright reform proposed by the European Commission which aims to clarify the liability regime for Internet platforms.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The definition now proposed by the Presidency is ““a provider of an information society service whose main or one of the main purposes is to store and give access to the public of a significant amount of copyright protected works or other protected subject matter uploaded by its users who do not hold the rights in the content uploaded”.</span>            <p style="text-align:justify">
<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Global: ITU releases latest ICT Development report</span>
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<span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">On November 15, the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) issued the ninth edition of its annual “</span> <a href="https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/publications/mis2017.aspx"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Measuring the Information Society Report</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">”.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The report stresses the importance of Internet access, not just in terms of ICTs, but also in prospects of social and economic development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Data shows that more than half of the world’s households (53.6%) now have access to the Internet at home, compared with less than 20% in 2005 and just over 30% in 2010. Also the number and penetration rate of active mobile broadband subscriptions have grown rapidly. The total number of subscriptions has risen from 268 million in 2007 to 4.22 billion in 2017. The global penetration rate has risen from 4.0 per 100 population in 2007 to an estimated 56.4 in 2017.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Nonetheless, the digital divides between developed and developing countries, between regions and within countries remain substantial.</span>            <p style="text-align:justify;margin-bottom:10.000000pt">
<span style="font-family:'Hind Light';color:#3a82e4">Trust</span>
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<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">EU: Working Party on Telecommunications and Information Society meeting</span>
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<span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The Working Party on Telecommunications and Information Society</span> <a href="http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/CM-4901-2017-INIT/en/pdf"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">met</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> on November 14-15. Ahead of the TTE Council meeting scheduled for 4 December, the WP discussed ePrivacy Regulation, the free flow of non-personal data Regulation and BEREC Regulation, as well as Funding of Digital infrastructure and projects.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">On November 17, the joint meeting of the Horizontal WP on Cyber Issues and the WP on Telecommunications and Information Society also</span> <a href="http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/CM-4964-2017-INIT/en/pdf"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">met</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> to discuss the proposal for a regulation on the "EU Cybersecurity Agency" (ENISA), and on Information and Communication Technology cybersecurity certification (''Cybersecurity Act'').</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">On November 21, the telecoms WP will</span> <a href="http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/CM-5018-2017-INIT/en/pdf"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">meet</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> again to discuss the proposal for a regulation on a framework for the free flow of non-personal data in the EU.</span>            <p style="text-align:justify">
<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">EU: Commission Gabriel answers question on data protection in Catalonia</span>
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<span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">On November 14, Digital Commission Mariya Gabriel</span> <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getAllAnswers.do?reference=P-2017-006053&language=EN"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">answered</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> a parliamentary</span> <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=WQ&reference=P-2017-006053&format=XML&language=EN"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">written question</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> by Spanish Liberal MEP Maite Pagazaurtundúa Ruiz on data protection in Catalonia.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The MEP raised concerns over the mobile app, the “Catalonia Voting Software”, which would have provided access to information on the electoral roll for the referendum (October 1), and had been suspended by the Constitutional Court. MEP Ruiz wanted to understand if the Commission considered sanctions and</span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light';color:#000000">questioned which steps the Commission was considering to protect the data of Catalan citizens.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Commissioner Gabriel reminded MEP Ruiz that the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), set to enter into force in May 2018, aims to protect all EU citizens, but it is the duty of the Member States to ensure its consistent implementation. Commissioner Gabriel stated that the Article 29 Working Party had not issued any opinion on data protection in Catalonia so far.</span>            <p style="text-align:justify">
<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">EU: Working Party on Data Protection and Information Exchange meeting</span>
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<span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The Working Party on Data Protection and Information Exchange is</span> <a href="http://mmail.dods.co.uk/wf/click?upn=pyBPr3ODec9edJBLOTR3tuyY4k-2FGk-2BlI3WCasNCFHL-2F7fJqcCI6duC7iMrz0V3VtAGlKmmJFDT4AHT-2F7tpAEhDXpQU-2FpcjsKu2Avgwa3nhI-3D_HM2xLN2tM-2FYF1ZWutwuBpRAdFSQbUrSs7NyboXLLFm-2FKDJKNZ0FBr7iV7MF57lz-2FJhCo8ub8zb2PIad7WDCRJBbJ9XKQZNowPvo0Xtdh6-2Bn99KT9IqDfHM2LxurndldpVaE9-2BlFf78gsuTw8qheIpE7judIInfeZDXhJyfqlea21lZFD-2BW6tWKQymtKU3PTOrtQ5YU3yeHeX-2FUHiPFFInqcibkZSJBlPNP-2FK-2B-2BUjPL0-3D"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">meeting</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> on November 21.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Among other things, the WP will discuss the</span> <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/document.cfm?doc_id=47798"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">report</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> on the first annual review of the functioning of the EU-US Privacy Shield. The Commission will also participate and present the report.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The first annual review report was published on October 18 and</span><span style="font-family:'Hind Light'"></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">reflects the Commission’s findings on the implementation and enforcement of the Privacy Shield framework in its first year of operation.</span>            <p style="text-align:justify">
<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">EU: Commission sets up expert group on fake news and launches consultation</span>
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<span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The work of the</span> <a href="http://mmail.dods.co.uk/wf/click?upn=ylTnCxh9zvUxpjPh46TRxGJd0LU9-2Ff6yX0dBT0jSsISZTgF4ecyYLzBCR73BdhFUaxeKR5A3ZS0P7khWmcXObjurya2jSDSpkt3di9LaXtM-3D_1-2B2i4NJ0yu0cCUcR-2FYNSSS4fHnZQBtZl8gfbDWUfOsCo4ofSaFIcIoUgKIf2vMVgbbgicMcDV3oO9KapjcpWr6U7tnqSRrEHxfzMylnoYXmQerXVcSsCyOZglqo53sZmNl5udWyNF4I5w2z15MbgSdrvNZmFIOF0-2FtX87bSwRo2H0kEP3bwp6ru8E6wYIhg51xePBj6wm1mHnfGMVg-2BaPS6MN8ieq3vOEYwxBECjfC8-3D"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">expert group</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> as well as the results of the</span> <a href="http://mmail.dods.co.uk/wf/click?upn=ylTnCxh9zvUxpjPh46TRxGJd0LU9-2Ff6yX0dBT0jSsISZTgF4ecyYLzBCR73BdhFUaxeKR5A3ZS0P7khWmcXObtXrb24eArH2hj1Jb5S6-2Btk-3D_1-2B2i4NJ0yu0cCUcR-2FYNSSS4fHnZQBtZl8gfbDWUfOsCo4ofSaFIcIoUgKIf2vMVgVgIRE8834ec1bX496SkDjzs46bT6U21CaaHRESGcGp6RlbbfwSbVUgNU-2F48xEfs3JKKp8AVSbJDr1Cc4fpG6KE3fVElmD-2B6D-2FbrnR9wVdABHKHy29bzwugB-2BtRTazSP-2Fv-2BVdnUTlh-2FP4DNxVuAX-2BSJAzKRypvdynTm4vPvj5PLU-3D"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">public consultation</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> will contribute to an EU strategy to be published in Spring 2018.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The Commission is currently</span> <a href="http://mmail.dods.co.uk/wf/click?upn=ylTnCxh9zvUxpjPh46TRxGJd0LU9-2Ff6yX0dBT0jSsISZTgF4ecyYLzBCR73BdhFUaxeKR5A3ZS0P7khWmcXObjurya2jSDSpkt3di9LaXtM-3D_1-2B2i4NJ0yu0cCUcR-2FYNSSS4fHnZQBtZl8gfbDWUfOsCo4ofSaFIcIoUgKIf2vMVganz8OB6P396jKz5-2FuTsCqevJWue1j0-2FGpmcqEbCSwvAQsASqem-2BLP3pyXFW9oGLaliwMzGuUFJp0sZmuMcVnUKcYAKq-2BlZQdB6039JoWbb5etaimAJvuvDyOn4KJCUysrFzsyZ0Y9Gfqw4rpc8pNiEBx8IwO-2B2MP4i2dlsXdjBo-3D"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">inviting experts to apply</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> to be a member of the expert group. The group will “advise the Commission on scoping the phenomenon, defining the roles and responsibilities of relevant stakeholders, grasping the international dimension, taking stock of the positions at stake, and formulating recommendations”.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The public consultation will look at the scope of the problem, the measures already taken by organisations, and possible future actions.</span>            <p style="text-align:justify">
<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Global:</span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"></span><span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Google says broader right to be forgotten is “serious assault” on freedom</span>
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<span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">In a</span> <a href="https://blog.google/topics/google-europe/defending-access-lawful-information-europes-highest-court/"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">blogpost</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'"> published on November 15, Google’s SVP and General Counsel, Kent Walker, signalled the company intends to fight against broad interpretations of the EU's right to be forgotten.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Google is involved in two cases on the right to be forgotten. The blogpost states that the forthcoming cases, expected to appear in the European Court of Justice next year, “represent a serious assault on the public’s right to access lawful information.”</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">Mr Walker also criticised proposals to extend the EU’s right to be forgotten to other states.</span> <span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Hind Light'">The “right to be forgotten” ensures that users could request the deletion or removal of personal data where there is no reason for its continued processing.</span>            <a name="_GoBack">
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