Blogs

Announcing PdF Brussels, May 31st!

May 7, 2012

Antonella Napolitano

This month, PDF is coming to Brussels!

In past years, we have covered many issues related to techpolitics within the EU institutions. So, for us, it just felt natural to organize a PDF event in Brussels, where most of these decisions are made.

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Still a Long Way to Go for Spain's First Transparency Law

April 23, 2012

Antonella Napolitano

It seems like a transparency law in Spain has still a long way to go.

Last Wednesday, the Spanish government presented a draft freedom of information law at the Open Government Partnership conference in Brasilia, but faced strong criticism coming from civil society and NGOs, voiced by human rights NGO Access Info.

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ACTA Rapporteur Says He'll Recommend Against the Treaty

April 17, 2012

Antonella Napolitano

A European lawmaker responsible for providing guidance to European Parliament on the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement will recommend against ratifying the treaty, he announced April 12.

British MEP David Martin, the rapporteur for ACTA, announced that he will recommend the rejection of the treaty in a final report to the International Trade Committee, the main parliamentary committee involved in the ACTA debate, he will submit later this month.

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Is It Time for Transparency in Spain?

April 2, 2012

Antonella Napolitano

The right-leaning government of Spain is working on the creation of a new transparency and information access law.

Faced with economic hardship and in a turbulent political time — Spain's Indignados movement began less than a year ago — a freedom of information law would be one way to boost credibility with the public. But open government advocates say the proposed law does not go far enough, and fails to meet international standards.

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European Parliament does not refer ACTA to Court of Justice, Final Vote Set in June

March 28, 2012

Antonella Napolitano

Yesterday, the European Parliament's International Trade Committee (INTA) voted against the referral of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the highest court in matters of European Union law.

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Can an Obama-like Campaign Work in France?

March 21, 2012

Antonella Napolitano

According to a recent TNS Sofres survey, 39% of French people say the Internet will play an important role in the electoral campaign. But do presidential candidates agree?

The main opponent to President Sarkozy, the Socialist François Hollande, seems to consider the web as an important battlefield, with his 2 million budget online campaign (10% of the total) and 35 people as digital  staff.

Two websites, one campaign

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The European Citizens' Initiative: a New Way to Shape up Debates?

March 15, 2012

Antonella Napolitano

“The Internet can mobilize in short period of time quite a lot of people. Democracy will have to adapt to that.”

This declaration came from European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht during a BBC program focused on the debate around ACTA, two weeks ago.

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As Public ACTA Debate Begins, Controversy Remains

March 5, 2012

Antonella Napolitano

The European conversation over a controversial trade agreement has become laden with "organized misinformation," EU Commissioner for Trade Karel de Gucht said Saturday.

Speaking on BBC's The Record: Europe program, de Gucht said opponents of the treaty, called the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, have exaggerated what the implications would be if the treaty were ratified.

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The French data protection authority says that Google's new policy violates EU data protection law

February 29, 2012

Antonella Napolitano

On Thursday, Google’s new privacy policy will become effective for all users.
Its application, though, may turn controversial especially in Europe: the French data protection authority (called CNIL) has analyzed the policy and declared that it violates the European Union data protection law. That law is called the European Data Protection Directive.

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Amid Protests and a Court Case, ACTA Set to Come Before EU Parliament

February 24, 2012

Antonella Napolitano

Next week the European Parliament will start discussing the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, or ACTA, a controversial treaty that would set new international standards for dealing with copyright infringements.

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