Listers FYI, Below an extract from the attached document from European Commission with regards to the debates around ITU, ETNO and WCIT : Very clear positioning : (1) The overarching objective of the European Union in relation to the WCIT is to ensure that any amendment to the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs) shall contribute to the development of the information society for the benefit of all citizens and telecommunications users world-wide, and users in the European Union in particular and comply with the Union’s acquis and policy. (2) The European Union shall take the following position on proposals for decisions by the WCIT at its meeting in Dubai between 3rd and 14th December 2012 and any related preparatory meetings: (a) Do not support any proposals that conflict with the EU acquis, or introduce obligations on operators which go beyond those already provided for under the EU acquis; (b) Support proposals that respect the sovereignty of ITU member states and in particular recognise those areas that are a national matter such as cybercrime, content, national security and defence. (c) Support proposals that seek to ensure that the revised ITRs remain high level, strategic and technology neutral and oppose proposals to make ITU recommendations binding on ITU member states and operating agencies;; (d) Support any proposals to maintain the current scope of the ITRs and the current mandate of the ITU, oppose any proposals to extend the scope to areas such as the routing of Internetbased traffic, content-related issues; (e) Support proposals to respect human rights in relation to international telecommunications, support proposals to respect privacy and personal data protection in relation to personal data and communications (subject to 2(a) above) (f) Support measures to promote greater international cooperation in relation to the security of networks used for international telecommunications traffic; (g) Support pro-competitive measures intended to help achieve lower prices, and greater transparency on prices, for international telecommunications traffic, based on commercial negotiations in a free and fair marketplace; (h) Do not support proposals to establish, within the ITU, mechanisms to settle disputes between operators as such mechanisms are not necessary;; (i) Support proposals that ensure that maritime communications can be charged in an economically efficient way. In order to make (2) (a) above explicit, EU agreement to any final outcome should be explicitly conditional on the submission of a formal statement by the EU to other participants regarding the applicability of EU regulatory provisions, as follows: “In signing the Final Acts of the World Conference on International Telecommunications (Dubai, 2012), the Delegations of the Member States of the European Union declare that these States will apply the International Telecommunication Regulations in accordance with their obligations under the Treaty establishing the European Union.”. Rudi Vansnick President - CEO rudi.vansnick@isoc.be Mobile +32/(0)475/28.16.32 Tel : +32/(0)9/329.39.16 ------------ "The Internet is for everyone" ------------- www.internetsociety.be -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/