Please note: This site's design is only visible in a graphical browser that supports Web standards, but its content is accessible to any browser or Internet device. To see this site as it was designed please upgrade to a Web standards compliant browser.

The European Approach to E-Commerce and Internet Policy: What Can Congress Learn About Its Own Tech Policy?

Thursday, July 19, 2012
Audio

A Discussion Featuring European Parliamentarians Malcolm Harbour, Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and Pablo Arias Echeverría, Coordinator of the IMCO Committee Working Group on E-commerce.

The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee was pleased to host a briefing on how the European Parliament, specifically its major Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, addresses Internet policy issues such as consumer privacy protection, e-commerce, net neutrality and intellectual property. These very same issues continue to challenge Congressional policymaking. Some of these European initiatives may end up driving U.S. tech policy and all of them help provide context for Congressional lawmaking.

The briefing featured an official delegation of the European Parliament's IMCO Committee comprising nine of its Members (MEPs) and led by its Chairman, Mr. Malcolm Harbour. Mr. Harbour and Mr. Pablo Arias Echeverría, MEP, Coordinator of the IMCO Working Group on E-Commerce, discussed how the European Parliament has handled these weighty issues during the briefing and also answered questions from the audience.

The presentation complemented a European privacy briefing held earlier this year with Françoise Le Bail, European Commission, Director General for Justice, who spoke on the recently unveiled draft European Data Protection legislation. Although not the lead, the IMCO Committee plays an important role in the process of this proposed framework. The panelists also provided their perspectives on other topics, including their views on recent Intellectual Property developments in the European Parliament, the promotion of the EU Digital Single Market, e-procurement and the recently implemented EU Cookie Law (EU Directive 2009/136/EC).

This informative briefing was moderated by Juliana Gruenwald, Tech and Telecom Reporter for NationalJournal.

This widely attended educational briefing is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. Congressional staff and members of the press welcome. The ICAC is a private sector organization comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations.