Voting on the proposed EU single telecom market...
Voting on the proposed EU single telecom market package was postponed Monday evening in the European Parliament Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee, but could still see plenary action April 11, a European Commission spokeswoman told us. The problem was…
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not having compromise amendments available in all languages, she said. Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement Monday that she’s “confident that this postponement will not distract the ITRE Members from their vote on this important proposal.” Kroes will offer whatever support she can to the Parliament members involved, said the EC spokeswoman. Kroes and her staff “stand ready to help support the Greek Presidency when they begin work on the text next month,” the spokeswoman said. The Wall Street Journal and others reported that some ITRE members welcomed the postponement because it gave them more time to address issues arising from the measure’s net neutrality provisions. The anti-net neutrality lobby doesn’t need breathing space, said European Digital Rights Executive Director Joe McNamee. Having gotten everything they want from the EC and Parliament’s lead rapporteur on the package, “they are worried about protecting their position,” he said. The proposal doesn’t have effective net neutrality provisions, he said. The issue of whether companies should be allowed to offer “specialized services” as long as they don’t interfere with Internet speeds promised to other customers is a major bone of contention in the net neutrality debate (CD Nov 29 p12).