Parltrack

Activites

• 2006/11/06 Follow-up document
  • COM(2006)0663 summary

    This Communication concerns the final evaluation of the multiannual Safer Internet Action Plan for the period 2003-2004 on promoting safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global networks. The evaluation was carried out by a panel of independent experts during the period February to May 2006, in close collaboration with the Commission services concerned. Launched in 1999, The Safer Internet Action Plan (SIAP) is seen by all stakeholders as a relevant and effective programme which should continue. The European Union is seen as a pioneer which identified at an early stage the issue of illegal and harmful content on the Internet as a serious and important political question of a global dimension. Today, the design and concept of the SIAP is used by many other countries - both in the Asia-Pacific region and in Northern and Latin America - as a model of how to deal with the challenge of harmful and illegal content on the Internet, while respecting the human right to freedom of expression. The evaluators found that the Safer Internet Action Plan has been successfully implemented and the attribution of the grants and the management of the programme were in general transparent, efficient and satisfactory. The main mechanism for implementing SIAP was the co-financing of projects selected on the basis of public calls for proposals.  During the period 2003-2004, 52 projects were co-funded involving 105 organisations and covering 22 Member States plus Iceland, Norway and Bulgaria. 22 projects are hotlines (co-ordination node and 21 hotlines spanning 20 countries), 25 are awareness projects (2 co-ordination nodes and 23 awareness nodes spanning 21 countries), one is for applied research for media education, one is for quality labelling scheme, one is a self-regulatory plan for tackling spam and one is for rating online games. A Eurobarometer survey was carried out under a framework contract. The total expenditure under the 2003 and 2004 was around EUR 13.7 million. New problems arise with the further diffusion of new Internet enabled end-user devices like next generation mobile phones and new practices such as social networking (including chat linked to the use of webcams), Internet Blogging and File Sharing. The evaluation report contains 7 recommendations, including a set of sub-recommendations: 1)      increase the visibility of hotlines: promote greater awareness of hotlines among end users and the media; 2)      improve the cooperation between hotlines and other stakeholders in particular the police and ISPs: encourage the harmonisation of procedures between hotlines and the police across Europe; produce a manual explaining procedures for information exchange and guidelines on best practices, which clearly define policies, ethics and procedures for people involved in this work; coordinate the development of a European black list of illegal content and promote its wide implementation by ISPs; 3)      awareness-raising should focus on specific target groups and improve outreach: require awareness nodes to pursue tailored strategies to address children, parents or teachers; facilitate discussion among national administrations (e.g. education ministries) to examine how safer use of the Internet can be brought into the schools (training teachers, curricula, setting up youth councils as self-regulatory bodies at schools); promote more active involvement by the media in awareness campaigns; devote a higher proportion of the programme budget to awareness raising; 4)      involve children and young people in identifying problems and designing solutions: obtain children's feedback and engage them in designing appropriate awareness raising messages and solutions; 5)      increase end user awareness of the options available for filtering harmful content: encourage awareness nodes to promote awareness of filtering tools in particular among parents and schools; assess the effectiveness of different filtering solutions; 6)      encourage industry self-regulatory solutions at European level: promote the adoption of age verification systems; foster the exchange of best practices, inter alia, of codes of conduct, content labelling and rating systems; 7)      map possibilities for future technological developments and user options: analyse the implication of convergent services and new modes of communication on the safety of children and on user behaviour and disseminate results. The Commission takes full note of the findings of the final evaluation of the Safer Internet Action Plan and will take account of the recommendations in implementing Safer Internet plus and in planning a future follow-up programme. Progress already made in area mentioned by the recommendations will be reinforced. Support will be given by the Safer Internet plus programme for activities by hotlines which lead to joint lists of illegal content within the scope of the programme (particularly child sexual abuse images). Communication of such lists to Internet  Service Providers will respect the relevant legal provisions concerning their role, in particular those contained in the Directive on electronic commerce.

  • DG Information Society and Media,
• 2003/07/01 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Decision 2003/1151
  • OJ L 162 01.07.2003, p. 0001-0004
• 2003/06/16 Final act signed
• 2003/06/16 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2003/05/26 Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
• #2511
• 2003/05/26 Council Meeting
• #X018
• 2003/03/27 Council Meeting
• 2003/03/11 Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0070/2003 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution by William NEWTON DUNN (ELDR, UK) making some amendments to the Commission's proposal. (Please refer to the document dated 18/02/03.) Parliament emphasised the promotion of industry self-regulation and content monitoring schemes, for example, dealing with child pornography or content which is likely to result in harm or which incites hatred.

  • OJ C 061 10.03.2004, p. 0023-0087 E
• 2003/02/18 Committee draft report
  • PE319.199
  • A5-0029/2003
• 2002/11/08 Committee draft report
  • PE319.199/REV
• #2438
• 2002/06/17 Council Meeting
• 2002/04/08 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • BUDG FÄRM Göran PSE
  • CULT HIERONYMI Ruth PPE-DE
  • FEMM KARAMANOU Anna PSE
  • ITRE
  • LIBE NEWTON DUNN Bill ELDR
• 2002/03/22 Legislative proposal
  • COM(2002)0152 summary

    PURPOSE : to present a proposal for a decision amending Decision 276/1999/EC adopting a multiannual Community action plan on promoting safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global networks. CONTENT : Decision 276/1999/EC of the European and of the Council of 25 January 1999 adopting a Multiannual Action on promoting safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global networks was adopted for a period of 4 years. In accordance with article 6(4) of the decision, the Commission has submitted to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions an evaluation report on the results obtained at the end of two years in implementing the action lines set out in the Annex to the Decision. The findings of the evaluation formed part of the basic documentation for a workshop on safer use of new online technologies at which leading experts in the field examined the likely future evolution of the issues addressed by the Action Plan and made recommendations to the Commission. The conclusions of the evaluation report and of the workshop can be summarised as follows: - new online technologies, new users and new usage patterns create new dangers and exacerbate existing dangers at the same time as opening a wealth of new opportunities; - there is a clear need for co-ordination within the safer Internet field, both on the national and the European level. There should be a large degree of decentralisation using networks of national focal points. The involvement of all the relevant actors, especially a greater number of content providers in the different sectors, should be encouraged. The Commission should act as a facilitator for and contributor to European and global co-operation. Co-operation between the Community and candidate countries should be enhanced; - more time is needed for actions to be implemented to enhance networking, to achieve the objectives of the Action Plan and to take account of new online technologies. The Action Plan should therefore be extended for a further 2 years duration. Its scope and implementation should be adapted to take account of lessons learned and new technologies. It should be added that there is a need for co-ordination at European level. This will be reflected in a number of measures: - partner involvement: promote more active involvement of content industry and media, expand collaboration with government-backed bodies active in the field. - Project structure: progress towards integrated network(s) with in-built awareness and dissemination mechanisms and central access point(s), combined with national focal points forming a Safer Internet Forum linked to an international Round Table. - Programme structure : closer links between action lines e.g. hotline and awareness activities, rating and self-regulation. - Subject coverage: the focus on child protection will be widened to include other types of illegal and harmful content (racism, violence etc.), and awareness of issues of consumer protection, data protection/privacy, and network and data security. - Technology coverage: the focus of the Action Plan will be widened to include mobile and broadband (especially video) content, chat rooms and Internet messaging services, online gamesetc. The title of the Decision will be amended to reflect this. - Adjustment of financial envelope and indicative breakdown of expenditure: an increase in the financial envelope is necessary to provide a further 2 years' activity. The indicative breakdown of expenditure between action lines needs to be adapted to reflect the cost implications of new priorities and new methods. - Geographical coverage, adjustment of list of applicant countries: progressive widening to encompass accession countries. The list of applicant countries able to participate should be amended by including Malta and Turkey, who became applicant countries after the original decision was adopted. Encourage collaboration with third countries and international organisations. In light of the above mentioned considerations, the Commission proposes that the European Parliament and the Council adopt a Decision amending Decision 276/1999/EC adopting a Multiannual Community Action Plan on promoting safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global networks.

  • OJ C 203 27.08.2002, p. 0006 E
  • DG Information Society and Media,

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2002)0152
• Legislative proposal: OJ C 203 27.08.2002, p. 0006 E
• Committee draft report: PE319.199/REV
• Committee draft report: PE319.199
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0029/2003
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0070/2003
• Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: OJ C 061 10.03.2004, p. 0023-0087 E
• : Decision 2003/1151
• : OJ L 162 01.07.2003, p. 0001-0004
• Follow-up document: COM(2006)0663

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)