[Chapter-delegates] Net Neutrality Vote In EU Parliament: A False Promise?

Thu Apr 3 02:54:48 PDT 2014

We have won!

On 3 April 2014 08:44, Halbersztadt Jozef (jothal) <
jozef.halbersztadt at gmail.com> wrote:

> Video from yesterday debate in the EU Parliament
>
> http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ep-live/en/plenary/video?debate=1396446284278
>
> The webcast from vote today starting at 11:30 + (likely 11.40) CET
>
> http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sed/video.do
>
> Kroes’ open letter defending the ETNO position with EDRi comments
>
>
> http://edri.org/commissioner-kroes-letter-meps-net-neutrality-now-subtitles/
>
>
>
> --
> 'JotHal' jozef [dot] halbersztadt [at] gmail [dot] com
> Internet Society Poland http://www.isoc.org.pl
>
>
> On 1 April 2014 13:54, Halbersztadt Jozef (jothal) <
> jozef.halbersztadt at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> DG Connect spokesman Ryan Heath is as truthful as usual.
>>
>> Diff between ITRE report and cross party amendments are in letter of La
>> Quadrature du Net to all MEPs:
>>
>>
>> http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Letter_to_MEPs_-_Plenary_vote_NN_%2803.04.2014%29
>> Best
>>
>> JH
>>
>>
>> On 1 April 2014 13:26, Borka Jerman Blazic <borka at e5.ijs.si> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Here it is:
>>>
>>> Telecoms firms brace for EU 'net neutrality' vote to limit service fees<http://europeanprivacyassociatin.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=957214c9b3f3f5477a8fcc16d&id=248a9603a7&e=0b241720c2>
>>> *Reuters, Foo Yun Chee, 31 March 2014 *
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> B.
>>>
>>> Dne 1.4.2014 13:12, piše Carlos Vera Quintana:
>>>
>>> Do you have the URL?
>>>
>>>  Thank you
>>>
>>> Carlos Vera Quintana
>>> 0988141143
>>> Sígueme @cveraq
>>>
>>> El 01/04/2014, a las 6:21, Borka Jerman Blazic <borka at e5.ijs.si>
>>> escribió:
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> You are certainly right in general, however there was published
>>> yesterday an opinion that slightly differ
>>> (the Commission spokesman claims that the proposal guarantee no packet
>>> discrimination
>>> and net neutrality).    I am enclosing it!
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Borka
>>>
>>>
>>> Dne 1.4.2014 11:51, piše Halbersztadt Jozef (jothal):
>>>
>>>  Colleagues,
>>>
>>>
>>>  In two days the European Parliament will finally vote on the proposal
>>> for a Telecoms Single Market. This proposal was initially designed to
>>> deliver the promise of enshrining Net Neutrality as law across Europe. Yet
>>> unless the European Parliament rises to the challenge, it they may actually
>>> end up undermining net neutrality net through unclear and confusing
>>> legislation.
>>>
>>>
>>>  In fact the prime objective behind the Telecoms proposal, is not to
>>> ensure Net Neutrality, but promote so-called “specialised services”. This
>>> definition of “specialised services” put forward by the European Commission
>>> has been criticized for undermining core principles of nondiscrimination
>>> online. Its aims to create a “special lane for high consuming services”,
>>> such as video or social media services which are available today free of
>>> charge.
>>>
>>>
>>>  Under this definition of “specialised services,” telecommunications
>>> companies will be positioned to become internet gatekeepers, controlling
>>> innovation, strangling competition, and ultimately restricting freedom of
>>> expression online.
>>>
>>>
>>>  Furthermore, the regulation was presented by the Commission to the
>>> European Parliament only in September 2013, forcing the parliamentarians to
>>> adopt a ridiculously tight timeline to debate and vote before the upcoming
>>> elections in May 2014.
>>>
>>>
>>>  During this process, the European Commission ignored internal
>>> criticism regarding the harmful impacts the current Telecoms proposal will
>>> have on entrepreneurs and the fundamental rights of European citizens. The
>>> European Commission also ignored serious concerns raised by the Body of
>>> European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). This European
>>> agency in charge of promoting an efficient telecoms market that maximizes
>>> benefits for consumers and businesses alike, clearly identified the
>>> provisions included in the Telecoms proposal as being “counterproductive”
>>> to that end.
>>>
>>>
>>>  Despite the tight timeline, almost all parliamentary committees
>>> involved in the Telecoms proposal managed to add necessary improvements to
>>> the text and adopt provisions safeguarding against network discrimination.
>>> Regrettably, the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee, in charge
>>> of the Telecoms proposal in the Parliament, rejected many of the
>>> improvements suggested by other committees in the final version of the
>>> proposal adopted prior to submission to the European Parliament's. When
>>> push came to shove, the ITRE Committee followed the Christian Democrat
>>> (EPP) rapporteur Pilar del Castillo questionable defense of the European
>>> Commission objectives at the expense of Net Neutrality.
>>>
>>>
>>>  Despite these setbacks, the European Parliament has an opportunity to
>>> prevent anti-competitive, anti-innovation policies by enshrining net
>>> neutrality into law across Europe in the Telecoms proposal’s final vote on
>>> April 3 by adopting the positive compromise amendments tabled by the
>>> Social-Democrats (S&D), the Greens (Greens/EFA), the United Left (GUE/NGL)
>>> and the Liberals (ALDE). The Parliament has a chance to stop network
>>> discrimination in its tracks by enshrining net neutrality into EU level
>>> law, as was already done in two EU countries, the Netherlands and Slovenia..
>>>
>>>
>>>  Citizens across the European Union can contact their representatives
>>> and urge them to vote for the alternative amendments and prevent the
>>> Internet to look more like cable TV, where your operator has total control
>>> over what you can access online, even charging you extra for certain
>>> services. A group of NGOs designed and launched a platform making to
>>> everyone very easy to call, email or fax members of the European Parliament.
>>>
>>> http://savetheinternet.eu/en/
>>>
>>>
>>>  In this action the citizen are informed that adopting of alternative
>>> provisions is the way to effectively enact Net Neutrality and ensure
>>> non-discrimination in the digital economy. While telecom companies (in
>>> particular those represented by the European Telecommunications Network
>>> Operators' Association (ETNO)) have been circulating misleading information
>>> about these amendments, they will in fact safeguard the ability of telecom
>>> operators to launch innovative “specialised services”, guarantee that
>>> innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can benefit from a level
>>> playing-field, but also protect citizens' freedom of communication and
>>> consumers' freedom of choice.
>>>
>>>
>>>  More here:
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.laquadrature.net/en/net-neutrality-vote-in-eu-parliament-meps-must-protect-the-internet
>>>
>>>  Regards
>>> Jozef Halbersztadt
>>>  --
>>> 'JotHal' jozef [dot] halbersztadt [at] gmail [dot] com
>>> Internet Society Poland http://www.isoc.org.pl
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
>>> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
>>> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Prof.dr.Borka Jerman-Blažič Head, Laboratory for Open systems and
>>> Networks Jožef Stefan Institute and Faculty of Economics, Ljubljana
>>> University Slovenia tel. +386 1 477 3408 tel. +386 1 477 3756 mob. +386
>>> 41 678 410
>>>
>>>  <Telecoms firms brace for EU.docx>
>>>
>>>  _______________________________________________
>>> As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
>>> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
>>> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Prof.dr.Borka Jerman-Blažič Head, Laboratory for Open systems and
>>> Networks Jožef Stefan Institute and Faculty of Economics, Ljubljana
>>> University Slovenia tel. +386 1 477 3408 tel. +386 1 477 3756 mob. +386
>>> 41 678 410
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
>>> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
>>> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>>
>>
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