european commission
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European Court confirms: Strict safeguards essential for data retention
Today, on 19 July 2016, the Advocate General (AG) Henrik Saugmandsgaard Øe of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued an Opinion on a case Tele2 Sverige AB v Post- och telestyrelsen (C-203/15) that deals with data retention obligations that were imposed by law on a Swedish telecom provider. The Court was […]
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Three steps to end freedom of expression
Our right to freedom of expression is laid out in law by the EU Treaties. To ensure democracy and accountability, this fundamental human right may not be restricted unless it is necessary, achieves an objective of general interest and the measure to restrict it is provided for by law.
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e-Privacy Directive revision: An analysis from the civil society
After the approval of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Directive for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEDP), the reform of data protection and privacy in the European Union (EU) now reaches the next step: the review of the e-Privacy Directive (Directive 2002/58/EC on privacy and electronic communications).
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Following the money – easy to say, hard to do
On 21 June, the European Commission organised an event about its “follow the money” approach to combating counterfeit goods. In the event, the first of a series of memoranda of understanding between the Commission and private sector actors was presented. The Commission has gone at great lengths to involve all stakeholders, including civil society, in […]
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Guide to the Code of Conduct on Hate Speech
On 31 May, the European Commission, together with Facebook, YouTube (Google), Twitter and Microsoft, agreed a “code of conduct” (pdf) on fighting hate speech. We believe that the code of conduct will damage enforcement of laws on hate speech, and undermine citizens’ fundamental rights. In a joint press release, EDRi and Access Now have therefore […]
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EDRi and Access Now withdraw from the EU Commission IT Forum discussions
Today, on 31 May, European Digital Rights (EDRi) and Access Now delivered a joint statement on the EU Commission’s “EU Internet Forum”, announcing our decision not to take part in future discussions and confirming that we do not have confidence in the ill considered “code of conduct” that was agreed. Launched at the end of […]
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European fundamental rights to be regulated by companies
Today, on 25 May, the European Commission published two new proposals of their Digital Single Market strategy: its update of the Directive on audiovisual media services (ADVMS) and a Communication on online platforms, together with the evidence document for the platforms Communication. The Communication on Platforms worries us the most. For instance, the proposals with […]
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ENDitorial: Next year, you’ll complain about the Terrorism Directive
The European Union is currently in the process of adopting a Directive on terrorism. The Directive is expected to be finalised later this year and then each Member State government will decide what it means, and will adopt national laws to put it into practice. The European Commission wrote the draft Directive in two weeks, […]
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CETA will undermine EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
In February 2016, the European Commission and Canadian government published the final draft text of the EU – Canada trade agreement (CETA), prior to its approval or rejection by the Council of the European Union, European Parliament and, possibly, national parliaments. In October 2015, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) invalidated the […]
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Please sue us
Each of the Member States of the European Union is required to incorporate European directives into national legislation. If a Member State does not obey this obligation, the European Commission can sue this country in the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). But what actions can a country take if such directives force […]
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Leaked EU Communication – Part 2: Protecting Google at all costs
While the European Commission talks tough about supporting European industry, much of what is in the leaked Communication on online platforms appears to be designed to protect Google and other online giants, to the detriment of competition and European innovation. “Fair payments” for copyright The Communication refers obtusely to the notion of “fair” distribution of […]
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TiSA resolution: what are you going to do about it?
The Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is bizarrely and sadly not subject to the same public debate as other “trade” agreements, such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) or the recently concluded Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). While some do not find TiSA as “sexy”, it still contains provisions that should deserve all your attention. […]
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