Statement: Jiri Kysela

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Brussels, 16 December 2020: 

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Jiri Kysela, a valued member of EuroISPA, who worked with us as a representative of CZ.NIC.

Jiri was a positive, agreeable, and serene man; he was a true role model for a European. Our association will greatly miss his contributions to our internal debates on digital policy. Most of all, we will remember with fondness the times shared in various EU capitals during our General Meetings.

We send our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

Press Release: EuroISPA Announces Election of New Board

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Brussels, 23 November 2020 – EuroISPA, the association of European Internet Services Providers, announces the appointment of it new board members, following an election during the latest General Meeting. The newly elected President, Alexandra Laffitte, was previously on the board as Treasurer and Vice-President; Innocenzo Genna takes on the role of Vice-President once more; whilst Thomas Bihlmayer joins the EuroISPA board as Treasurer in his first mandate. As members from FFTélécoms (France), AIIP (Italy), and eco (Germany), respectively, the new EuroISPA board reflects the multinational nature of the association.

Alexandra Laffitte (FFTélécoms) stated, “I am delighted to have been elected President of EuroISPA, and I look forward to continuing the work the association has achieved in the past years, and to building upon the work of the previous presidencies. This nomination is very humbling, and I would very much like to thank EuroISPA’s membership and extend my gratitude to Maximilian Schubert for having been an outstanding, forward-thinking President for the past two years. My time on the EuroISPA board over the past two years has given me great insight into the valuable work the association does. I am excited to continue to push forward EuroISPA’s programme and priorities in the context of policy issues like the Digital Services Act.”

Innocenzo Genna (AIIP) said, “It is a great pleasure to once more be part of the EuroISPA board. In the past years we have focused on the key policy topics that impact our industry and our members, and I look forward to contributing to this actively. While new European rules are expected to address the issues arising from the rise of digital markets and the conflicts with traditional industries, it is of utmost importance that the Internet remains an open space where innovators can launch and develop new services and business models beyond the limitations of legacy technologies and national borders; EuroISPA is in the interesting position of helping ensure this can happen.”

Thomas Bihlmayer (eco) added, “EuroISPA has a strong position in enabling its members from across the continent to be represented vis-á-vis EU policy makers, and I am happy and extremely honoured to have been elected as the association’s Treasurer. It will be an exciting challenge to help this association grow and expand, whilst working towards its goals and priorities. I look forward to further shaping the role and influence of EuroISPA with the new board, and thank the members for their trust in me to do so.”

As a pan-European association, EuroISPA represents over 2,300 ISPs across the European continent. The association advocates for the needs of the wider internet industry at EU level on specific policy issues, working to make sure that industry priorities are highlighted to external stakeholders. The board is elected every two years, and ensures the governance and daily running of the association, as well as ensuring the positioning of EuroISPA on key policy topics.

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NEWS: EuroISPA co-signs letter on Terrorist Content Online Regulation

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This week, EuroISPA co-signed a letter to representatives of the Council of the EU, the European Parliament and the European Commission on the fourth trilogue on the Proposal for a Regulation on Preventing the Dissemination of Terrorist Content online. We look forward to seeing the outcome of this trilogue, which we hope will take into account the items noted in this letter, including: clarifying the definition of terrorist content, empowering competent authorities to deal with this content effectively, ensuring that over-blocking does not take place, prohibiting general monitoring obligations for hosting service providers and protecting user data.

Read the letter here.

EuroISPA reponds to DSA public consultation

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After over two years of hard work and collaboration, EuroISPA is happy to announce that we have submitted our response to the European Commission’s public consultation on the Digital Services Act. As an association we strive to find a balance between diverse needs, establishing a framework that stimulates EU businesses whilst protecting citizens online.

The Digital Services Act is comprehensive in scope and its impact on the ISP sector will be wide-ranging, as it will review the 20 year old E-Commerce Directive, which has proven essential for finding a balanced liability regime. As such, it has been a priority at EuroISPA to enable ongoing discussions on the DSA over the last two years, gathering insights from our members and coming to decisions that take into account the needs of players across the ISP sector and across the continent. 

Submitting our response is an important milestone for our work on this issue. Indeed, these are the exciting moments of EU-level policy activities, where we see the long discussions and hard work come to fruition, and where we see the needs and recommendations of industry experts being submitted straight to the hands of policy makers.

Read more here.

Annual Report 2019: The Voice of the European Internet Industry

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We are happy to share with you our Annual Report for 2019, which documents the achievements and engagement of the association over the course of last year.

In 2019, EuroISPA has been able to engage on several important policy issues, focussing on intermediary liability, data protection, and the legal framework for the cross-border exchange of electronic evidence, among other things. We are proud of our continuing efforts and engagement on these files, and of being the first industry association to have established a position on the Digital Services Act, a particular priority in the coming years.

The Annual Report can be found here. We hope that you will enjoy reading it.

NEWS: EuroISPA signs letter to strengthen the fundamental principles of the E-Commerce Directive in new Digital Services Act, along with other industry players

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June 2020

Spearheaded by Danish Entrepreneurs, Allied for Startups, and DSA4Startups, and signed by industry players including EuroISPA, the letter highlights that it is the opportune moment to re-examine the role of online platforms in the European economy and society, and to update the 20-year-old E-Commerce Directive through the upcoming review of the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The letter notes that the principles present in the E-Commerce Directive are crucial for the sector, as the directive “enshrines an important balance between the intermediary’s responsibilities and the user’s right to expression and information”. These principles include the limited liability regime, the prohibition of general monitoring obligation, and the country of origin principle. EuroISPA and the other signatories of this letter view that these principles should not be discounted in future discussions on the DSA, as they represent the key tenets of the European platform economy. 

The letter also underlines the need to take into account the growth of the industry in any regulatory changes made to the E-Commerce Directive, and emphasises the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to discussions. As the time for reviewing the DSA approaches, the letter’s signatories request that the new regulation take into account learnings gleaned from the COVID-19 crisis, be nimble and future-focused in its approach, and that it be clear and proportional, in order not to have unintended consequences for smaller actors in the space.

EuroISPA represents over 2,300 ISPs of all sizes across Europe and is an advocate for the needs of the wider internet industry; it is therefore particularly keen to support this, and similar activities. The association is now focusing on the open public consultation on the DSA, which will be crucial to bringing the already strong E-Commerce Directive up to speed with the current economic climate. The association aims to ensure that the industry priorities are highlighted to policymakers, in order to formulate a new balanced legal framework.

Read the letter in full here.

EuroISPA publishes points of critique on the German Draft Act amending the Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG)

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EuroISPA recently published its points of critique on the German Draft Act amending the Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) on the European Commission’s portal for notifications of national laws: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/tris/en/search/?trisaction=search.detail&year=2020&num=174.

Having closely followed the ongoing discussions on the NetzDG on combatting hate speech online, EuroISPA voiced its concerns on certain details of the proposal which pose multiple risks, particularly in the context of the association’s work on EU initiatives on intermediary liability. EuroISPA fears an increased risk of fragmentation of the European internal market, with online platforms operating in different European Member States having to put in place specific compliance mechanisms for each individual market, thus making it virtually impossible for new entrants.

EuroISPA supports legislative consistency across the Digital Single Market, and therefore encouraged the German government to wait before further amending the NetzDG. This is particularly important in the context of the open public consultation on the Digital Services Act and how online platforms should be regulated in the future, which is open until 8th September 2020.

Press Release: EuroISPA welcomes new member to association, asut

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Brussels, 19 March 2020 – EuroISPA, an association of European Internet Services Providers, today announces newest member to the association during its General Meeting. asut, a Swiss association for internet service providers, advocates for the ongoing development of the Swiss ICT sector.

Dr Maximilian Schubert, President of EuroISPA, said, “We are delighted to be welcoming EuroISPA’s newest member, particularly as we consolidate cooperation across Europe and beyond the EU borders. The influence that ISPs can have on consumers and societies is continually growing; as such, it is increasingly necessary for the industry to come together and address concerns together. With a Swiss member in the association, we will be better able to address issues that are facing our neighbour, and which also affect our other members across the continent.”

EuroISPA is a pan-European association which represents over 2,500 ISPs across the European continent. The association advocates for the needs of the wider internet industry, particularly in relation to safer internet, cybersecurity, data protection, and innovation, working to ensure that the industry priorities are highlighted to external stakeholders. The General Meeting gathered representatives of ISPs from across the continent to discuss concerns facing the industry, including cybersecurity and intermediary liability, and how these impact on consumers and society.

A leading Swiss association for ISPs, asut encompasses ISPs from across the jurisdiction taking into account how best to promote the needs of the industry in Switzerland, as well as Swiss consumers. As the voice of the Swiss ICT and telecommunications industry in sectors ranging from economics, to politics and administration, it works towards establishing a competitive landscape for industry players.

“It is increasingly important that the role and impact of ISPs on our societies be emphasized and addressed in a coordinated manner. Our General Meetings are important moment to focus on our mission to make the internet safer and more privacy focused. Our joint endeavours with old and new members alike are what will have a multilateral impact on the industry; and with asut now among our association, we are excited to be continue expanding ISP cooperation beyond EU borders,” concluded Schubert.

Press Release: EuroISPA coordinates event on encryption and data protection with European Internet Forum

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Brussels, February 18, 2020 – EuroISPA, an association of European Internet Services Providers, coordinates an event today to discuss encryption at the European Parliament together with the European Internet Forum (EIF). With data encryption as the core of its agenda, the event is hosted by MEPs Patrick Breyer and Rasmus Andresen, and gathers industry experts, policy makers, stakeholders, and civil society to discuss the future of encryption and data protection.

EuroISPA, a pan-European association which represents over 2,500 ISPs across the European countries, advocates for the needs of the wider internet industry, particularly in relation to safer internet, cybersecurity data protection, and innovation. Encryption tools are part of the framework which allow internet and online services to be trusted and ensure ongoing cybersecurity and data protection. The absence of encryption weakens this trust, and concerns about illegal activities online have led to debates around the decryption of data for crime investigations and interception of criminal communication.

Dr Maximilian Schubert, President of EuroISPA, stated, ‘In discussing encryption, it is crucial to have an evidence-based exchange of information on the security issues a lack of encryption presents. EuroISPA aims to highlight the crucial role of encryption in enhancing users’ privacy, trust in the internet, and free expression online. Weakening encryption through software backdoors puts these at risk: while such tools might initially help law enforcement to prosecute criminals, in the long run they can potentially be exploited by hackers or even enable mass surveillance. As such, there can be no middle ground in designing online security. We hope that by gathering experts from Europe and afar, this event will help establish a clearer exchange of knowledge around these issues, and highlight both the industry’s and users’ requirements.’

Gathering attendees from across Europe, the event aims to allow for a balanced exchange on the benefits and concerns around the protection of encrypted data. Speakers include, Bert Hubert, Founder of PowerDNS, Cathrin Bauer-Bulst, Acting Head of the Cybercrime Unit, European Commission DG HOME, Ceren Ünal, Regional Policy Manager Europe, Internet Society, and Birgitta Jónsdóttir, Internet Archive Fellow, Electronic Frontier Foundation, as well as EIF members.

‘An effective exchange of ideas and the establishment of priorities should be at the core of policy decisions that impact on the data privacy and cybersecurity of consumers and users, and therefore on their fundamental rights. At EuroISPA, we hope that enabling multilateral discussions will lead to a broader understanding of the implications of data decryption, as well as allowing for an exploration of alternate ways of assisting law enforcement whilst protecting user rights,’ concluded Schubert.

Brexit: EuroISPA calls on decision-makers to swiftly agree on trade deal covering digital services

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Brussels, 29 January 2020 – EuroISPA calls on decision-makers to swiftly agree on a comprehensive deal covering digital services and ensuring data adequacy, as the United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union.

Dr Maximilian Schubert, President of EuroISPA, declared: “As the Brexit talks continue to shape the future of the relationship between the EU and the UK, EuroISPA urges both sides to ensure that the Internet will remain a key connecting factor for Europe. The Internet has been a major force for economic growth and business innovation, enhancing productivity and efficiency, and bringing consumers new and more affordable goods and services. In the EU this has been underpinned by the common regulatory environment of the Digital Single Market, which reduces regulatory barriers between countries just as the Internet reduces technical barriers. When designing the future relationship, we urge both sides to avoid erecting new barriers that would inhibit this growth, and instead look for each side to learn from the other as we create our digital future.”

Going forward, EuroISPA calls on the UK and the EU to swiftly negotiate and agree upon a trade deal which will redefine their relationship. Such an agreement should ensure the highest degree of harmonisation possible in terms of digital policy, in order to ensure that European ISPs can offer services to European citizens, regardless of whether they live in the EU or in the UK. In particular, data adequacy should be preserved, in order to secure the free flow of data between the two entities.

Stakeholders from the UK have made extremely important contributions to the development of innovation and pro-competitive EU ICT policy for many years. EuroISPA and its member associations are committed to ensuring that the borderless character of the Internet remains intact, and will work to develop innovation-friendly policy that benefits both the UK and the EU Member States.

Contact details

EuroISPA

38, Rue de la Loi
1000 Brussels

+32 2 789 6618

[email protected]

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