Council confirms it wants to trade net neutrality for end of roaming charges
Commissioner Oettinger confirmed what European Digital Rights (EDRi) has been fearing from the begining on the so-called “trialogues” on the Telecommunications Single Market Regulation:
“Council [is] willing to move on end of roaming if [the European Parliament] engages on all open issues”, Commissioner Oettinger said this morning. The Council is so vehemently opposed to net neutrality that the whole issue was discussed in the sparsely attended ministerial meeting on 12 June without the words “net neutrality” being uttered by the either the Council Presidency or even Commissioner Oettinger.
“In other words, the Council is proposing to end net neutrality in exchange for the end of roaming charges”, argued Joe McNamee, European Digital Rights (EDRi)’s Executive Director. “Bringing an end to one form of market abuse by telecom market operators in return for legislation actively permitting abuse is a ridiculous proposal”, he added.
On 3 April 2014, the European Parliament adopted a strong stand in favour of net neutrality. Now, it is being subject to pressure to cave in.The Parliament’s landmark legislative resolution contained four steps to deliver net neutrality:
Background information:
Infographics: The European Parliament’s Four Steps to Net Neutrality adopted by large majority (12.06.2015)
European Parliament considering yet another compromise on net neutrality (11.06.2015)
Net neutrality – is the European Parliament ready to accept complete failure? (25.05.2015)
