Policy Observatory

Romania's telecommunications authority ANCOM submitted to public consultation a set of measures intended to ensure the disabled persons’ access to telephony and internet access services adapted to their specific needs and in conditions equivalent to those available for most users. The draft decision provides that end-users with sight, speech and/or hearing disabilities will be able to benefit from internet and telephony offers with included consumption units optimised for their special needs. The interested persons are invited to send their comments and suggestions by 17 December. 

This consultation seeks views on a measure within the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill which will enable the Home Secretary to create a Privacy and Civil Liberties Board to support the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation. The consultation invites comments on a number of details (such as membership of the board) that will be set out in the regulations. These regulations will be subject to affirmative resolution. The consultation is open until 30 January 2015.

National sovereignty of the EU Member States and the rule of law would be endangered if Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) was part of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Respondents to the public consultation conducted by the European Commission (EC) between March and July 2014 made it clear that they oppose ISDS, but the Commission doesn’t seem to be taking their opinion into account.

On 13 January 2015 the EC presented the results of the public consultation on ISDS. A month later, the Commission’s strategy seems to be a quiet but strong defence of ISDS.

The public online consultation on the draft “Dichiarazione dei diritti in Internet” (Declaration of Rights on the Internet) proposal ended on 31 March 2015. The text was drafted by a special Commission of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and it was initially scheduled to last until the end of February, however the consultation was extended for one more month. Approximately 14.000 visits were recorded, with a total of about 600 comments and proposals for integration. All comments are available here.    

Along with the online consultation, auditions with different stakeholders (private, public and non profit organizations) took place. Among the issues discussed during the auditions one can mention: freedom of expression; the relationship between the protection of rights offline and online; Internet as a common good; the authors’ rights and IPR protection; the right to Internet access for all; net neutrality; the right to be forgotten, etc.

The Declaration has also been discussed during various public events in February and March, including the Social Media Week in Milan (February 23-27), the Biennale della Democrazia held in Turin (March 25-29,). The reasons for the low level of participation in the public consultation and the need to produce such Declaration have also been debated. The Commission will draft a summary document containing the proposals and suggestions received by the public consultation and during the auditions; a further and improved version of the Declaration will be drafted. The final version of the Declaration might be the content of a motion of the Parliament to the Government.

A committee of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe is drafting a recommendation on internet freedom and is requesting public comments until the end of the month.

UK ministers have launched a consultation on increasing online copyright infringement from 2 years up to 10 years - bringing it into line with copyright infringement of physical goods.