Monday

25th Sep 2023

EU battle for open Internet rules rages on

  • “Right now the net is neutral, but it's not guaranteed. We do not have legislation on net neutrality in Europe” (Photo: Steve Rhodes)

The European battle to maintain the open character of the Internet is not over yet.

Several Liberal and left-wing members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are trying to convince colleagues to support amendments that they say would close loopholes in new legislation that will be put to a vote in a plenary session in Strasbourg Tuesday (27 October).

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • Michel Reimon, member of the left-wing Green group (Photo: European Parliament)

MEPs will vote on a package deal that promises to end roaming surcharges for consumers travelling abroad within the EU, as well as safeguard the open Internet in the EU. The deal was agreed by negotiators on behalf of the Parliament and member states last June but needs formal approval from both.

But soon after EU politicians congratulated themselves on the new rules, criticism started to pop up from consumer groups and digital rights organisations, saying the rules on open internet are not robust enough.

“We try to save the net neutrality part with these amendments”, Austrian Green MEP Michel Reimon told EUobserver.

Net neutrality is the principle that Internet providers, or other intermediaries between Internet users and a website or online service, do not discriminate between the content requested by the user.

For example, if a provider decided to allow a video-streaming website to load much faster than that of a competing company - because it may have a contract to favour one over the other - that would be against net neutrality.

“Right now the net is neutral, but it's not guaranteed. We do not have legislation on net neutrality in Europe”, said Reimon, with the exception of the Netherlands and Slovenia, which adopted national rules. Reimon and Dutch Liberal MEP Marietje Schaake are among the most active trying to change the deal.

The Austrian said the new EU rules were so watered down in the negotiations with member states, that they are even worse than the current situation.

“The original idea [behind the new rules] was to guarantee it on EU level. The minimum was to let national legislators do it. … What we are doing now, is: we are not allowing [governments] to guarantee net neutrality”, noted Reimon, saying the Netherlands and Slovenia would have to abandon their national laws.

Dutch MP Kees Verhoeven, in a previous interview with EUobserver, had already expressed his worry of the risk that the European rules will “in practice be a weakening of the Dutch variant”.

Reopening a closed deal?

The amendments would revert parts of the text to the original position approved by the European Parliament before it started talks with the member states. The changes would need approval from member states, otherwise new talks to find another compromise will be required.

And because roaming and net neutrality are voted in one package, many MEPs will feel reluctant to change the deal they have.

Most MEPs will be happy to tell voters that they were able to abolish the much-loathed roaming surcharges - and the unpleasant surprise bills for the calling or downloading traveller.

MEP Reimon said “it's a tight race”.

“We probably do not have the majority now, but it's possible that we will have it within a week because we are talking a lot to people”, said Reimon on Wednesday (21 October).

If not, Reimon said his group will consider voting against the whole package, because he also misses having guarantees that roaming surcharges will actually end mid-2017.

Meanwhile, there is also a possibility that another surcharge will substitute roaming.

Phone companies will be allowed to charge consumers if they are using their phone abroad beyond what is considered fair use.

The Commission will adopt rules that define what is fair use before 15 December 2016. Only if we see that definition will we know whether roaming surcharges will return under a different name.

According to the draft agenda, the vote will take place on Tuesday (27 October).

Investigation

Fines on open internet vary greatly in EU

The fine for violating the EU principle of net neutrality is €9,600 in Estonia, while it can be up to €1 million in Bulgaria, Luxembourg, and Belgium.

AI will destroy more female jobs than male, study finds

About four percent of global female employment is subject to potential automation through generative AI technologies, compared to only 1.4 percent of male employment. The trend is even more pronounced in high-income countries, a new study reveals.

Column

EU lobbying clean-up — what happened to that?

Six months after Qatargate, as institutional inertia and parliamentary privileges weigh in, the sense of gravity and collective resolve have all but disappeared. MEPs show little enthusiasm for reform of the rules that today allow them significant outside paid activities.

Latest News

  1. Europe's energy strategy: A tale of competing priorities
  2. Why Greek state workers are protesting new labour law
  3. Gloves off, as Polish ruling party fights for power
  4. Here's the headline of every op-ed imploring something to stop
  5. Report: Tax richest 0.5%, raise €213bn for EU coffers
  6. EU aid for Africa risks violating spending rules, Oxfam says
  7. Activists push €40bn fossil subsidies into Dutch-election spotlight
  8. Europe must Trump-proof its Ukraine arms supplies

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us