MEPs make crucial call to protect Digital Single Market’s key legislative infrastructure

Brussels - 19.01.2016: The European Parliament’s new report on the Digital Single Market represents an important benchmark for which the Commission’s digital strategy be evaluated against, according to the European Internet Services Providers Association (EuroISPA).

Since the Strategy was first envisaged a number of years ago, EuroISPA has consistently stressed that the success of any Digital Single Market initiative will rest on the preservation of the intermediary liability principle as the key legislative infrastructure underpinning the development of the Internet in Europe. In that context, it is encouraging to hear so many MEPs on the floor of the European Parliament asserting the pro-innovation and balanced nature of the existing European intermediary liability environment.

This new report sets out the European Parliament’s policy-wish list for the Digital Single Market, at the beginning of what is set to be a crucial year for the digital development of Europe. EuroISPA looks forward to working with MEPs and the other institutional lawmakers to realise the Parliament’s ambition, particularly through the preservation of the milestone provisions of the E-Commerce Directive to which Parliament has indicated its continued support.

Speaking after the vote in Parliament, EuroISPA President Oliver Süme said: “We fully agree with the Parliament’s view that the limited liability of intermediaries is essential to the protection of the openness of the internet, fundamental rights, legal certainty and innovation. We look forward to working with MEPs to ensure their important ambitions for a digital Europe are reflected in the European Commission’s Digital Single Market policy proposals.”