Policy Observatory
Article 5(3(h) of the InfoSoc Directive allows Member States to introduce into their own national copyright laws an exception to the rights of reproduction, communication/making available to the public and distribution to allow "use of works, such as works of architecture or sculpture, made to be located permanently in public places" - the so called freedom of panorama.
In light of a possible reform of the legislative framework in the area of copyright, the draft Report prepared by MEP and Pirate Party member Julia Reda on the implementation of the InfoSoc Directive mentioned freedom of panorama be made mandatory (rather than merely optional) for Member States to implement into their own legal regimes.
However, the amended version of the Report, which has received the approval of the Legal Committee of the European Parliament, currently includes a recommendation that "the commercial use of photographs, video footage or other images of works which are permanently located in physical public places should always be subject to prior authorisation from the authors or any proxy acting for them".
A campaign website by European digital rights groups at https://www.savetheinternet.eu allows Europeans to contact Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) by phone, e-mail or Twitter for free, to encourage them to stand firm on net neutrality, and insist on a strong regulation rather than a loophole-ridden compromise.
After simulating a debate in the Legal Commission, the proposal for amending the ePrivacy law was rapidly adopted by the Deputy Chamber with majority of votes.
The Association for Technology and Internet (ApTI) wrote an opinion indicating several issues, however despite being invited to participate in a debate organized by the Legal Commission, none of the points raised were given any attention.
The MEPs adopted during the second reading the regulation on the measures concerning access to the internet modifying the 2002 Directive on telecommunications. The totality of amendments proposed by the MEPs promoting net neutrality has been rejected.
Bulgarian Parliament has approved a package of amendments to the Electronic Governance Act (EGA) with the aim to facilitate and enhance the process of adopting e-Government in its fullest. Some of the most notable legislative texts include the requirement for all software, designated for government purposes to be open source and developed in a public repository (Article 58a of the EGA) and the establishment of an Electronic Government State Agency (EGSA), which will be responsible for the correct implementation of e-Government concepts (e-ID, Network and data security, Certification services, etc.) and projects. The EGSA will be assisted by a new Unified System Operator State Enterprise, which will constitute an informational contact centre for citizens and business entities. The Unified System Operator will also function as an action centre in response to incidents, related to breaches of data security.
Additional information is also available here.