Heute wird im Europaparlament die "den Erlass der Verordnung des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates über Maßnahmen zum Zugang zum offenen Internet und zur Änderung der Richtlinie 2002/22/EG über den Universaldienst und Nutzerrechte bei elektronischen Kommunikationsnetzen und -diensten sowie der Verordnung (EU) Nr. 531/2012 über das Roaming in öffentlichen Mobilfunknetzen in der Union
[10788/2/2015 - C8-0294/2015 - 2013/0309(COD)]" abgestimmt.
Und ist damit weit grosszügiger mit ihren Ausnahmen, als die FCC, die Federal Communications Commission, die am 26. Februar 2015 die folgenden SUSTAINABLE RULES TO PROTECT THE OPEN INTERNET verabschiedet hatte.
Die Folge, ein offenes Anschreiben einer Reihe von US-Firmen an die EU-Poltiker, in den sie auf diese Entscheidung verweisen: "We believe the United States Federal Communications Commission’s June 2015 Open Internet Order provides a strong framework to keep the Internet free and open." [1]
Dazu der Aufruf von Sir Tim Berners-Lee, dem Gründungsdirektor der Web Foundation vom Vortag im Wortlaut:
Tomorrow, members of the European Parliament face a key vote on the future of the Internet. The proposed regulations in front of them are weak and confusing. To keep Europe innovative and competitive, it is essential that MEPs adopt amendments for stronger “network neutrality” (net neutrality).
When I designed the World Wide Web, I built it as an open platform to foster collaboration and innovation. The Web evolved into a powerful and ubiquitous platform because I was able to build it on an open network that treated all packets of information equally. This principle of net neutrality has kept the Internet a free and open space since its inception.
Since then, the Internet has become the central infrastructure of our time — every sector of our economy and democracy depends on it.
To strengthen and clarify the proposed EU net neutrality rules, here are the amendments that MEPs should insist on:
The current proposal allows ISPs to create fast lanes for companies that pay to have their content load faster by calling them “specialized services”. Fast lanes will make it harder for anyone who can’t pay extra fees — start-ups, small businesses, artists, activists, and educators in Europe and around the globe — to reach Europeans online. MEPs should vote for the amendments that close the so-called “specialized services” loophole to prevent the creation of online fast lanes and keep the Internet a level playing field.
The current proposal permits ISPs to exempt applications from users’ monthly bandwidth cap (“zero-rating”). Economic discrimination is just as harmful as technical discrimination, so ISPs will still be able to pick winners and losers online. MEPs should adopt the amendments that allow member states to create their own rules regulating the harmful practice of zero-rating. That way, States which have already banned this practice will be able to continue to do so, while others can move to protect innovation if they choose.
The proposal allows ISPs to define classes of services, and speed up or slow down traffic in those classes, even in the absence of congestion. As well as harming competition, this also discourages encryption: many ISPs lump all encrypted services together in a single class, and throttle that class. MEPs should vote for the amendments that ban class-based discrimination to protect users, competition, privacy, and innovation online.
The proposal allows ISPs to prevent “impending” congestion. That means that ISPs can slow down traffic anytime, arguing that congestion was just about to happen. MEPs should vote to close this loophole.If adopted as currently written, these rules will threaten innovation, free speech and privacy, and compromise Europe’s ability to lead in the digital economy.
To underpin continued economic growth and social progress, Europeans deserve the same strong net neutrality protections similar to those recently secured in the United States. As a European, and the inventor of the Web, I urge politicians to heed this call. Meanwhile, the Web belongs to all of us, and so it’s up to each one of us to take action. European residents can visit the savetheinternet.eu website today to contact their MEP and ask them to vote for the amendments that will protect the open Internet for us and future generations.
Im Deutschlandfunk-Interview von Peter Kapern mit dem EU-Kommissar Günther Oettinger wird in der Sendung "Informationen am Morgen" auch dieses Thema zur Sprache gebracht: Hier die Fragen - und Antworten [2]
An diesem Tag, als diese Erklärung publiziert wurde, war Herr Oettinger sowohl in Bruxelles - siehe den Beitrag: "Bruxelles/NRW: Vom digitalen europäischen Binnenmarkt... " - als auch in Berlin - siehe: "Schöne neue digitale Medienwelt" - unterwegs, um seine Positionen zu bekräftigen.
Die Woche davor hatten wir ihn zuletzt am Freitag als Sprecher auf den Medientagen in München erlebt. Der BR zitiert ihn mit dem Satz: "Europa stirbt in der Welt medial aus."
Morgen ist er dann erneut in Deutschland zu hören: in Frankfurt auf der FAZ-Konferenz: "Disruption. Die digitale Transformation der Wirtschaft“ mit dem Thema: "Die Chancen und Herausforderungen der digitalen Transformation aus europäischer Perspektive."