Latest News
- PRESS RELEASE
- Commission launches public consultation on eSignatures and eIdentification
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(18 February 2011) In order to tackle low levels of consumer and business confidence in online transactions, the European Commission is asking citizens and other interested parties how electronic signatures and electronic identification (eID) and authentication can help the development of the European Digital Single Market. Currently, difficulties in verifying people's identities and signatures are a significant factor holding back the development of the EU's online economy. Electronic signatures and electronic identification (eID) and authentication can be an important tool to enable both users and providers to rely on secure, trustworthy and easy-to-use online services but must work in all Member States to be effective. The results of this consultation will feed into the Commission's review of the existing eSignature Directive and the preparation of a planned initiative on the mutual recognition of electronic identification and authentication. Boosting e-commerce, e-business, and making it easier to undertake administrative procedures online in the Single Market are important aspects of the Digital Agenda for Europe. The online consultation runs until 15 April 2011.
- PRESS RELEASE
- Commission welcomes Court ruling confirming Member States' discretion to determine free to view sporting events
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(17 February 2011) The European Commission welcomes today's Court's of Justice of the EU ruling confirming that individual Member States have discretion under EU law to decide which sporting events are of major importance for their public and so should be available on free-to-view television. The rulings concerned an appeal by on FIFA and UEFA against a Commission decision to approve lists of football matches to be available on free-to-view television submitted by Belgium and the United Kingdom. The Court found that the Commission acted correctly in approving the lists of events of UK and Belgium. Consequently, FIFA's and UEFA's actions were dismissed. Both Belgium and the United Kingdom had submitted lists including the whole final tournament of the FIFA Football World Cup (i.e.64 football matches) and the UK's list also included all the UEFA European Football Championship (EURO - i.e. 31 matches). Under the EU's Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) Directive (Article 14), Member States can draw up a list of events of major importance for their general public and take measures to ensure that these events (like the Olympic Games) are accessible on free-to-view television. These lists can be submitted to the European Commission for approval in order to get recognition in other Member States. At present, the lists in 8 Member States have been approved by the Commission (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and United Kingdom).
- PRESS RELEASE
- Vice-President Kroes calls on 21 Member States to take urgent measures on mobile satellite services
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(17 February 2011) Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, has issued an urgent call to twenty one EU countries to rapidly introduce all the legislative measures necessary to allow the pan-EU deployment of mobile satellite services that could be used for high-speed internet, mobile television and radio or emergency communications to EU consumers and businesses. According to the timetable agreed by a Decision of the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers in 2008, Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) should be deployed in all EU Member States by May 2011 at the latest. But, more than twenty months after the Commission selected two operators to provide such pan-European services, 21 Member States have not yet adopted all the national rules needed to facilitate MSS deployment. Vice-President Kroes recently appealed also to the two operators concerned to step up their efforts. The key role that wireless broadband (both satellite and terrestrial) can play to ensure broadband coverage, including in remote and rural areas, is underlined in the Digital Agenda for Europe.
- PRESS RELEASE
- Media: Commission Vice-President Kroes welcomes amendments to Hungarian Media Law
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(16 February 2011) Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, has welcomed the amendments the Hungarian authorities have agreed to introduce to their Media Constitution and Media Act (Hungarian Media Law). These amendments concern all four issues where Vice-President Kroes had expressed serious doubts that the current law, adopted on 21st December 2010, was not compliant with EU law. These four issues comprise disproportionate application of rules on balanced information, application of fines to broadcasters legally established and authorised in other Member States, rules on registration and authorisation of media service providers and rules against offending individuals, minorities or majorities. The EU law in question comprises the Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) Directive, the rules laid down in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union on the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services (Articles 49 and 56 respectively) and the Charter of Fundamental Rights (Article 11 on freedom of expression). The Commission will now closely monitor the adoption of these amendments and their subsequent implementation.
- PRESS RELEASE
- Europeans use mobile phones more when travelling abroad, but still worry about costs, EU survey reveals
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(14 February 2011) Almost three quarters of Europeans are worried about the cost of using their mobile phone when travelling in the EU a survey released by the European Commission today shows. 72% of travellers still limit their roaming calls because of high charges even if a majority is aware that prices have fallen since 2006. Only 19% of people who use internet-related services on their mobile phones when abroad think the costs of data-roaming for (Internet surfing or checking e-mails) are fair. The results of this survey, plus the public consultation on the future of the Roaming Regulation, which closed on 11th February, will feed into the Commission's review of current EU roaming rules, due by June 2011. The performance target set by the Digital Agenda for Europe is that the differences between roaming and national tariffs should approach zero by 2015.
- NEWS ARTICLE
- 'Bittersweet cookies': new types of 'cookies' raise online security & privacy concerns
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(18 February 2011) The EU's "cyber security" Agency ENISA has published a position paper on the security and privacy concerns regarding new types of online 'cookies'. The advertising industry has led the drive for new, persistent and powerful cookies, with privacy-invasive features for marketing practices and profiling. The Agency advocates e.g. that both the user browser and the origin server must assist informed consent, and that users should be able to easily manage their cookies.
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- Eris@ Annual conference 2011
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12 April 2011 - 14 April 2011 Krakow, Poland
This year's conference will focus on progress with regional deployment and uptake of broadband. The event is organised by Eris@, an association of European regions who want to accelerate the impact of ICT on the quality of life of their citizens, business profitability and government processes.
Contact: info@erisa.be
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- eLearning Africa 2011
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25 May 2011 - 27 May 2011 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
This is a conference and exhibition that focuses on information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development, education and training in Africa. Serving as a pan-African platform, it links a network of decision-makers from governments and administrations with universities, schools, governmental and private training providers, industry and important partners in development cooperation. Each year a different country hosts the event. At the 2010 event, 1778 teachers, educators, trainers and ICT professionals from 78 countries, the majority coming from Africa. Conference languages are English and French.
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- ICIN 2011: From Bits to Data, from Pipes to Clouds
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4 October 2011 - 7 October 2011 Berlin, Germany
Software-driven, context-aware services delivered and composed in the cloud and on smart devices will continue to transform the user experience and the ICT industry landscape. ICIN 2011 will bring together technical and business innovators from the ICT industry to share their insight and experience of the technology, service and business transformation ahead. A call for papers has been launched (deadline 7 March).
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- E-books and E-content 2011
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11 May 2011 London, United Kingdom
The uptake of e-book readers has suddenly proliferated and 2010 has proved to be a milestone year for a consumer led boom in e-books and e-readers. What does this imply for publishers, libraries, booksellers, all being threatened by an emerging business model ? This conference will explore these technologies, the associated services and the possible impact on the traditional businesses of publications and their exploitation. Should libraries start supplying e-books as downloads as some are ? Should publishers seek out new formats and markets for publications ? Where does it leave library suppliers ? And what about academia, where every student may soon have an electronic notepad and fail to understand why their course material isn't already in e-format.
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- Online content: policy and regulation for a global market
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27 March 2011 - 29 March 2011 Ghent, Belgium
This conference will address online content and the role of policy and regulation. Topics include public media, social networking, the competitiveness of Europe's media sector, public sector information, online music, privacy, consumer protection, net neutrality, internet television, cloud computing and search engines. A special session will address online content trends and policy issues in Asia, USA and Latin America.
Reminders
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- Augmented Human International Conference 2011 - Call for papers
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12 March 2011 - 14 March 2011 Tokyo, Japan
The Augmented Human (AH) International conference will take place in Tokyo. A call for papers has been launched (Deadline for submission : 23 December). The AH conference focuses on scientific contributions towards augmenting human capabilities through technology for increased well-being and quality of life.
New in the Library
- SPEECH
- Neelie Kroes Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda
- Delivering solutions on roaming and radio spectrum
2011 Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, 14 February 2011
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