Following an initiative by Emma Bonino, Commissioner for Consumer Policy, the European Commission has decided to propose the creation of a legal framework for the financing of Community activities under consumer policy. This framework has a budgetary allocation of ECU 114 million for five years (1999-2003). The Bonino proposal will focus on four priority areas:… Continue reading EU: Budget For Consumer Policy
Various long-standing infringements of the EC law on the free movement of goods and services within the EU remain unresolved while European industry protests at the Commission’s inaction continue to grow. The French Loi Evin – which bans almost all advertising of alcohol and the use of sponsorship messages by alcoholic beverage producers – is… Continue reading EU: Delays In Infringement Cases
The EC has proposed an International Charter to strengthen world-wide co-ordination for the elimination of barriers to the development of the information society. The Commission believes it is in the interests of industry, users and the general public to ensure greater consistency in global rules for doing business electronically and for using the global communications… Continue reading EU: EC Proposes Information Society Charter
The EC will participate in the Council of Europe’s work on the drawing up of data protection guidelines for the Internet. While these guidelines will not be binding, member countries of the Council of Europe (all EU Member States) will agree to secure their adoption by businesses, users and public authorities. The Commission intends ensuring… Continue reading EU: Internet Guidelines
In the light of the draft code of conduct for car advertising, as proposed under the UK Presidency of the EU, the German advertising trade body, the ZAW, has held a meeting with the president of the German Automobile Association, the VDA. The two agree that there is no call for such a European-wide code,… Continue reading DE: German Opposition To Car Code
On 28 January the EU Council adopted a common position for a Directive on guaranteeing the transparency of national rules on information society services. It is aimed at ensuring that new regulations in this area do not create barriers to free movement in the European single market. The position will now be forwarded to the… Continue reading EU: Council’s Common Position
President Bill Clinton has repeated his call – made last year – for TV broadcasters to give free broadcasting time for political messages. He has written to Bill Kennard, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and a Clinton appointee, to say: “I call upon the commission to develop policies as soon as possible which ensure… Continue reading US: Clinton Calls For Free Air Time
The European Parliament has finally approved a Directive aimed at guaranteeing the protection of users of voice telephony and defining the universal service for the telecoms sector. The vote confirmed the agreement reached last month at the end of the conciliation procedure with the Council. This text – which now replaces Directive 95/62/EC on voice… Continue reading EU: Telephony Directive Adopted
The new Data Protection Bill – which is necessary to implement the European Data Protection Directive – has been laid before Parliament. It will replace the Data Protection Act of 1984 over the next three years. The Direct Marketing Association of the UK has already given the new Bill a cautious welcome. One of the… Continue reading UK: Data Protection Bill
Stefano Meloni, chairman of the Franco-Italian food production company Eridania Beghin-Say, has called on the EU rapidly to clarify its policies on the labelling of foods containing genetically modified organisms, in order not to alarm the public. “We believe that we cannot remain in the current grey zone, where each European country will take its… Continue reading EU: Food Company Speaks Out
