Echeverría pushes for open document exchange in e-business

European institutions often receive rather negative public attention and the European Parliament hardly gets appraised for all the good work it does to shape the digital future of Europe.

An example for the work that often stays unnoticed: today a report of MEP Echeverría (EPP) from Spain was adopted by the Strasbourg plenary. His report “on completing the internal market for e-commerce” addresses all the crucial points which businesses face in the digital environment. Among the topics the support of interoperability and open document formats for business communication. I am very excited.

Also Commissioner Neelie Kroes pushes along with her Digital Agenda and meets her tough deadlines. She wants a “a first class internet for Europe“. The long awaited radio spectrum proposal is among her deliverables.

Here Echeverría’s report for instance

43. Stresses the importance of open and neutral access to a high-speed internet connection, without which e-commerce would be impossible;

and finds

Digital Agenda for Europe sets reasonable performance targets for high-speed and ultra-fast broadband coverage and for e-commerce take-up

Parliament and the Commissioners are true movers and shakers for openness. When would the member states take the lesson and follow-up?

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European Council for open satellite technologies

Council Resolution on “The Contribution of space to innovation and competitiveness in the context of the European Economic Recovery Plan, and further steps” as adopted by the Competitiveness Council meeting on 29 May 2009.

…HIGHLIGHTS the potential of satellite communications technologies to bring broadband to European citizens and enterprises, ensuring a better access to modern ICT particularly in rural and remote areas6, in the context of the European broadband strategy called for by the European Council of 19-20 March; CALLS on the Commission, ESA and the EU and ESA Member States to consider integrating satellite technologies in future broadband projects with a view to support the implementation of the EERP, while respecting the principles of open competition, technology neutrality, and open and neutral internet architecture; and further RECOGNISES the need to explore innovative approaches and architectures for the provision of global satellite communications services in response to institutional demand in support of European programmes and policies, including transport, energy and security;

http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/09/st10/st10500.en09.pdf

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Open Formats also in Internet report

In the European Parliament Internet Freedom recommendations we discussed here earlier:

whereas it is important to deal with emerging issues such as network neutrality, interoperability, global reachability of all Internet nodes, and the use of open formats and standards,”

Openness and interoperability are classics, net neutrality is what Obama cares about and global reachability is a new meme. It bears the potential to assemble an unhealthy alliance between European Human rights groups criticising the Chinese Grand Firewall and Chinese spammers who are cut off by European operators.

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