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Tag: European Parliament

  • EU Moving Forward to Unify Phone Chargers Over Apple’s Objections

    EU Moving Forward to Unify Phone Chargers Over Apple’s Objections

    The European Union (EU) “lawmakers voted 582-40 in favor of a resolution to spur action by the Commission on a single charging solution for smartphones,” according to AppleInsider.

    Two weeks ago EU regulators issued a statement detailing their intention to push for universal phone charger connectors. Regulators had been ‘encouraging’ companies to unify around a single standard for years, but were disappointed those companies had failed to follow through. As a result, they were preparing to push for mandatory measures that would force companies to adopt a single solution.

    Apple, in particular, has been vehemently opposed to the measure, as they have the most to lose thanks to their proprietary Lightning connector. With an installed base of some 1.5 billion devices, there’s an entire ecosystem of companies, devices, peripherals and more—all built around the Lightning cable.

    Unfortunately for Apple, their arguments do not appear to have made much of a difference. As AppleInsider highlights, the European Parliament may well have had Apple in mind when saying “the use of wireless charging technology entails additional potential benefits such as mitigating e-waste; highlights that many mobile telephones already use wireless charging methods and that fragmentation in this area should be avoided; calls, therefore, on the Commission to take measures to best ensure the interoperability of different wireless chargers with different mobile radio equipment.”

    At this rate, it seems likely a future generation of iPhones will be sporting an entirely different type of connector.

  • Angela Merkel Regrets Rise of Populism in EU

    On Sunday, 21 of the 28 member-states of the European Union held votes for seats in the European Parliament, a vote which occurs every five years. The European Parliament is effectively the legislative body of the European Union and is second largest democratically-elected electorate in the world behind India’s Parliament. As such, these elections are one of the most important elections held on the globe.

    Despite that fact, voter apathy still held, with less than 50 percent of people showing up at the polls. Of those that did turn out to vote, however, there was a strong message sent to the establishment parties of Europe.

    By the time polls closed on Sunday, it was evident that the leading powers of the European Union have suffered much over the past five years due to economic crises and international tensions, with many far-right and fringe parties rising to unseen prominence.

    In Germany, Merkel’s Christian Democratic bloc remained victorious, bringing in 35.5 percent of the total vote. That total represented the lowest percentage since votes for the European Parliament began in 1979, however.

    The slack was picked up from two surprising sources – the newly-minted Eurosceptic party, Alternative for Germany, and the far-right, neo-Nazi National Democratic Party.

    Alternative for Germany, abbreviated AfD, is barely one year old but making great headway in the German political scene. The party is not anti-EU, but rather anti-euro due to its exacerbation of non-competitive and inegalitarian economic policies. It is calling for the secession of southern European states from the eurozone.

    In this election, AfD garnered 7 percent of the vote, resulting in 7 seats in the European Parliament.

    In response to the 7 percent gain from the AfD and the 1 percent total from the National Democratic Party, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel had a somber message:

    “It’s quite remarkable and regrettable but now the point is to win those voters back… A course directed toward competitiveness, growth, and jobs is the best response to those who are disappointed and have now voted the way we all didn’t want.”

    Merkel’s comments have more impact when considered with a wider scope. While the far-right parties did not make a huge splash in the German political landscape, their gaining-strength was displayed in both France and the United Kingdom.

    In France, far-right, anti-immigration National Front party won a majority of the votes, coming in at 26 percent. Even more shockingly, the current-ruling Socialist party came in third, with only 14 percent of the vote.

    In the United Kingdom, the U.K. Independence Party, or UKIP, won 27 percent of the vote compared to 18 percent for David Cameron’s conservative party. The UKIP takes a hard-lined stance on its view toward the EU, with its leader, Nigel Farage, stating, “I don’t just want Britain to leave the European Union, I want Europe to leave the European Union.”

    While Germany and Merkel may have not experienced the worst of the social upheaval at this year’s polls, her plan seems to be the right place to start. All of the far-right and fringe parties seemed to be gaining support through their opposition to the euro, a currency many people seem to blame for the current economic crisis in Europe.

    If Germany and other countries want to cement their center-right political stranglehold and prevent the destruction of the EU, job growth and economic stability are the keys.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • The Fate Of The Free Internet Goes Up For Vote In December

    The fate of the free Internet will be decided at a private meeting in Dubai on December 3. UN member nations will argue for or against a plan that would give control of the Internet to the ITU, instead of the current NGO multiple stakeholder approach. Some within the US government have already voiced their opposition, and now the EU is joining them.

    Wired UK reports that the European Parliament has issued a resolution against a potential takeover of the Web by the ITU. The resolution contains many of the same arguments that people like Vint Cerf have said about the proposed UN regulation.

    Should the UN and its member nations be given absolute authority over the core framework of the Internet? Let us know in the comments.

    There’s a lot of good stuff in the EP resolution, and other nations, including the US, would be wise to wied these arguments during negotiations next month:

    1. Calls on the Council and the Commission to ensure that any changes to the International Telecommunication Regulations are compatible with the EU acquis and further the Union’s objective of, and interest in, advancing the internet as a truly public place, where human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly freedom of expression and assembly, are respected and the observance of free market principles, net neutrality and entrepreneurship are ensured;

    2. Regrets the lack of transparency and inclusiveness surrounding the negotiations for WCIT‑12, given that the outcomes of this meeting could substantially affect the public interest;

    3. Believes that the ITU, or any other single, centralised international institution, is not the appropriate body to assert regulatory authority over either internet governance or internet traffic flows;

    4. Stresses that some of the ITR reform proposals would negatively impact the internet, its architecture, operations, content and security, business relations and governance, as well as the free flow of information online;

    5. Believes that, as a consequence of some of the proposals presented, the ITU itself could become the ruling power over aspects of the internet, which could end the present bottom-up, multi-stakeholder model; expresses concern that, if adopted, these proposals may seriously affect the development of, and access to, online services for end users, as well as the digital economy as a whole; believes that internet governance and related regulatory issues should continue to be defined at a comprehensive and multi-stakeholder level;

    6. Is concerned that the ITU reform proposals include the establishment of new profit mechanisms that could seriously threaten the open and competitive nature of the internet, driving up prices, hampering innovation and limiting access; recalls that the internet should remain free and open;

    7. Supports any proposals to maintain the current scope of the ITRs and the current mandate of the ITU; opposes any proposals that would extend the scope to areas such as the internet, including domain name space, IP address allocation, the routing of internet-based traffic and content-related issues;

    8. Calls on the Member States to prevent any changes to the International Telecommunication Regulations which would be harmful to the openness of the internet, net neutrality, the end-to-end principle, universal service obligations, and the participatory governance entrusted to multiple actors such as governments, supranational institutions, non-governmental organisations, large and small businesses, the technological community and internet users and consumers at large;

    9. Calls on the Council to coordinate the negotiation of the revision of the ITRs on behalf of the European Union, on the basis of inclusively gathered input from multiple stakeholders, through a strategy that primarily aims at ensuring and preserving the openness of the internet, and at protecting the rights and freedoms of internet users online;

    10. Recalls the importance of safeguarding a robust best-effort internet, fostering innovation and freedom of expression, ensuring competition and avoiding a new digital divide;

    11. Stresses that the ITRs should state that the ITU recommendations are non-binding documents which promote best practices

    There’s a lot here, but the central fears of an ITU takeover are two-fold. For one, the proposed Internet tax system would greatly affect how companies do business around the world. A leaked document said that some nations are pushing for a global Internet tax. In effect, nations would have the power to tax companies like Google in return for being allowed to operate in those nations. One can already see the potential abuse this system would bring.

    The other is far more serious, and one of the reasons why nations like Iran and China are pushing so hard for this. It would allow individual nations to control how the Internet operates in their country even more thus leading to even more censorship. Iran is already developing its own private Internet, but a change to the ITU would make that internationally endorsed.

    Do you think nations should have the right to charge an Internet tax to companies like Google? Let us know in the comments.

    As you can see, there’s a lot at stake here and many are concerned about the potential impact the ITU meeting will have on the Web. Companies like Google are already beginning protest movements and asking for people to submit their stories on why a free and open Internet is important to them.

    Following Google’s lead, Mozilla has also started its own campaign to help organize protests against an ITU takeover of the Internet. The non-profit put forth a compelling reason to reject any potential takeover of the Web:

    Whether the Internet is regulated by governmental treaties via the ITU and to what extent, is a vitally critical question. In fact it is so critical it can’t be done behind closed doors. The Internet as we know it today is just too fundamental to our lives to leave it to governments to decide its fate.

    Mozilla’s mission is to promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the Web. We do this first and foremost by building great products. But, as any Mozillian knows — the story is much more than the latest release or coolest hack. The Internet depends critically on a human network of communities and relationships, and Mozilla builds movements that strengthen the Web.

    ACTA and SOPA were expected to pass with little to no resistance, but the Internet proved those assumptions wrong. The ITU would be wise to heed the voice of the Internet, and not go forward without taking its users into account. If not, it’s only a matter of time before it’s deemed irrelevant alongside everything else that refuses to acknowledge the Internet as a living, breathing entity that can’t be contained.

    Are you concerned over a potential ITU takeover of the Web? Are people worried for nothing? Let us know in the comments.

  • ACTA: European Parliament Votes Against Controversial Agreement

    ACTA, the anti-piracy treaty many felt was a treat to our individual rights, has been shut down by the European Parliament, much to the dismay of those who lobbied endlessly in favor of the agreement. When all was said and done, 478 MEPs voted against the treaty, while 39 voted in favor of it. 139 individuals abstained from casting their allegiance in one direction or the other. Efforts were previously made to postpone the voting due to ongoing investigations into ACTA by the European Court of Justice.

    As the vote was going down, many in the audience held up signs and banners which read, “Hello democracy, goodbye Acta”. UK’s Pirate Party leader Loz Kaye was elated, as well, stating, “The European Parliament vote is a triumph of democracy over special interests and shady back-room deals.”

    Although officials say that the agreement was nothing more than an attempt to get a handle on the internet piracy, many believe that it’s a serious threat to our freedom. Few details about ACTA are known, though the most damning of language suggests that criminal penalties will be brought against both intellectual property pirates and individuals who are found “aiding and abetting” such activity. Despite being negotiated as a trade agreement, many feel that it’s simply legislation in disguise. Pharmaceutical companies, movies studios, and record labels, as you can imagine, were quite anxious to see this thing pass.

    Wednesday’s vote is considered to be a huge win for those who feel that large, money-saturated corporations currently have too much power over governments and their citizens. However, there is still a chance that the United States and a handful of small nations could, in theory, get the treaty to pass. All they need are six of ten negotiating countries to ratify the treaty for it to go into effect. However, without the support of the European Parliament, many feel that ACTA is as good as dead.

    EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, meanwhile, has stated that the fight against piracy will continue in spite of the vote. “Today’s rejection does not change the fact that the European Commission has committed itself to seeking answers to the questions raised by the European public,” he explained. “The European Commission will continue to seek the legal opinion of the European Court of Justice on whether this agreement harms any of the fundamental rights of European citizens – including freedom of speech.”

  • ACTA Now On Life Support, May Not Make It Through Vote

    Warriors of the Internet have good reason to be relieved today. ACTA got hit with a rejection so big that it may sway the vote in the Internet’s favor. It seems that people actually going outside and protesting on behalf of the Internet can get things done.

    RT is reporting that the International Trade Committee (INTA) of the European Parliament has rejected ACTA. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a unanimous decision as 19 voted against it and 12 voted for the controversial treaty. Still, the majority ruling against it should help set the stage for a rejection once it hits the European Parliament vote in early July.

    The rejection from the INTA today is just the latest in a string of rejections against the treaty. We reported two weeks ago that three committees within the European Parliament – Industry, Civil Liberties and the Legal Affairs Committees – all voted against it. Rejection from the INTA is the final nail in the coffin as far as committees go and a vote for it in the actual parliament would show not only contempt for the citizens, but for its own members as well.

    Unfortunately, ACTA still has a chance to survive and be voted through. It was found that ACTA supporters may resort to dirty tricks to get what they want either through delays or pro-copyright industry rhetoric. Neither of those are likely to work, but the final idea – a secret ballot – may be just the ticket. It would allow those who publicly rejected ACTA to vote for it and none of the citizens would be none the wiser.

    Regardless, the rejection from the INTA gives us hope that ACTA will be shot down and left to the books on failed treaties. It would be great if the rejection of ACTA had a ripple effect that would cause more countries in Southeast Asia to reject the equally awful TPP. It may even help the effort of getting our own government to shoot down CISPA. We can only hope.

  • Three European Parliament Committees Reject ACTA

    The momentum for ACTA appears to be dying as more and more European entities and officials reject that particular form of Internet regulation for the sake of protecting copyrights and intellectual properties. Recently, the Netherlands joined in on the anti-ACTA fray, and even though the move was scoffed at by certain parties within the Dutch government, the fact remains, ACTA rejection is alive and well in Europe for whatever reason.

    Now, you can add entities within the European Parliament to the list of those rejecting the ACTA treaty.

    According to a report in ArsTechnica, the European Parliament’s industry committee, civil liberties committee, and the legal affairs committee rejected ACTA, but apparently, that’s not the final word. The report reveals that the trade committee must also offer its opinion on the treaty, and we’re stil waiting on the European Parliament as a whole to offer its postion. That being said, considering how many entities have already spoken out against ACTA, it’s hard to see these positions being ignored.

    Furthermore, when you couple the committees’ rejection with David Martin’s, who serves as the Data Protection Supervisor for the EU, it’s hard to see ACTA living a long and prosperous life. The ArsTechnica article also points to a blog post by Rick Falkvinge, founder of the Pirate Party, who says he won’t celebrate until ACTA is defeated by the European Parliament as a whole:

    They all voted to recommend rejection of ACTA, and therefore, effectively recommend that the European Parliament kill it dead. But this all happened with very narrow margins, defying an onslaught of procedural tricks and attempts of delaying, so the game is far from over.

    He also provides a schedule of where ACTA goes from here:

    Next, the DEVE committee – (Third World) Development – votes on ACTA on June 4. The INTA (International Trademark Association) committee’s vote, the final step before the main vote, happens on June 21. Then, the European Parliament as a whole votes early July – presumably 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th. That’s the end-of-level boss fight.

    While the latest round of ACTA rejections should be acknowledged and praised, the fight against it is not over yet.

  • European Parliament Rapporteur Recommends Rejecting ACTA

    After replacing the disillusioned Kader Arif who resigned his rapporteur position due to his disagreement with ACTA, David Martin MEP is picking up where Arif left off, rejecting the principles on which ACTA was constructed, while suggesting the European Union reject the treaty altogether.

    While acknowledging IP protection is indeed an issue that needs addressing, Martin doesn’t feel ACTA is the way to go about it. He’s succinct in his recommendation:

    The intended benefits of this international agreement are far outweighed by the potential threats to civil liberties. Given the vagueness of certain aspects of the text and the uncertainty over its interpretation, the European Parliament cannot guarantee adequate protection for citizens’ rights in the future under ACTA. Your rapporteur therefore recommends that the European Parliament declines to give consent to ACTA… Following the expected revision of relevant EU directives, your rapporteur hopes the European Commission will therefore come forward with new proposals for protecting IP.[Emphasis added]

    Martin recommendation to the European Parliament was not the only forum he used to reject ACTA. After his proposal was posted, Martin wrote a guest post over at the Burdzeyeview blog, stating why the European Parliament should reject ACTA. Some highlights, first discussing some of the issues posed by ACTA:

    ACTA countries also want work together to tackle commercial-scale copyright violations online, and to stop some illegally operating companies making millions by uploading and charging for copyright-protected films and music. This brings in a whole new set of questions over the role of internet service providers in monitoring internet usage, and individual citizens’ right to privacy on the internet.

    From here, Martin discusses the ACTA negotiations; particularly the secrecy involved:

    The Agreement is also controversial because of the perceived secrecy surrounding the negotiations… the ACTA procedure was particularly opaque, and I and my Socialist and Democrat colleagues (the parliamentary grouping of the European Parliamentary Labour Party and our sister socialist parties) objected strongly to the relatively scant information we were receiving from the European Commission.

    While he acknowledged these complaints led to ACTA drafts being made public, from Martin’s perspective, that wasn’t enough. Martin then states his postion on ACTA in a clear and concise manner, saying ACTA is real threat to individual freedom:

    I agree with the stated aims of ACTA and the need for increased copyright protection to give European producers and creators the return on their innovation. We need it for the economic recovery, for job protection and creation and, in the case of products like car parts and medicines, we need it to keep dangerous and potentially life-threatening products off the market. But ACTA is too vague and there are real risks that over-zealous interpretations of the text could have a real impact on individual freedoms.

    One hopes the European Parliament follows suit, matching Martin’s clarity, while following through on his recommendation. If that happens, ACTA, for all intents and purposes, is dead:

    If the Parliament endorses my recommendation to reject it, ACTA will fall in the EU before the summer.

    Considering Martin’s comprehension and clarity on the issue, one wonders why American politicians can’t follow his lead and actually educate themselves about the legislation they are trying to pass. Furthermore, Martin openly acknowledged the public outcry in Europe was not something to be ignored.

    Conversely, when the Internet blackout opposing SOPA occurred, people like MPAA CEO Chris Dodd called it “irresponsible.” Clearly, Dodd needs to spend some time with David Martin. Maybe that way, some of Martin’s common sense concerning Internet regulation in the name of IP protection will sink into Dodd’s skull.

  • ACTA: French MEP Resigns Over “Charade” In Parliament

    ACTA has taken a blow already today with the resignation of the French MEP (Member of European Parliament) who was in charge of investigating the bill.

    On his Web site, Kader Arif posted a statement titled, “ACTA: A masquerade I will not attend.” The original statement was in French and there is no official English translation yet so please forgive any errors presented in Google Translate.

    I want to denounce as the greatest of all the process that led to the signing of this agreement: no association of civil society, lack of transparency from the beginning of negotiations, successive postponements of the signing of the text without any explanation being given, setting aside the claims of the European Parliament, however, expressed in several resolutions of our Assembly.

    He then goes on to say that the right-winged members of parliament imposed an accelerated schedule to ACTA to pass the agreement as fast as possible before the public was alerted.

    He then lists the many problems with ACTA: the impact on civil liberties, responsibilities it imposes on ISPs, impact on the manufacture of generic drugs and the lack of protection it offers to GIs.

    He then says that he will be resigning his post in what he calls a “charade.”

    This agreement may have a major impact on the lives of our citizens, and yet everything is done for the European Parliament to have no say. So today, in submitting this report in my charge, I would send a strong signal and alert the public about this unacceptable situation. I will not participate in this charade.

    ACTA is now in the public sphere of debate and it’s causing an uproar. Expect more stories like this and more protests from various groups. We’ll keep you up to date on any changes.