Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-01-13-Speech-2-230"
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"en.20040113.11.2-230"2
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".
It is true that unsolicited commercial e-mail, or 'spam', has reached worrying proportions: over 50% of e-mail traffic, according to many experts, is now 'spam'.
The Commission also agrees that 'spam' undermines not only privacy and consumer protection, but also productivity at work and overall productivity growth. Consumer confidence in e-mail is falling, according to some studies. It is, however, a prerequisite for the successful development of e-commerce and the information society in general.
The Commission is reacting on several fronts. Firstly, the European Union has acted on the legislative front by adopting, in 2002, the directive on privacy and electronic communications – as Mr Paasilinna will know because he made a considerable contribution to the discussion. Infringement proceedings were launched in November 2003 against a number of Member States that had failed to take the necessary transposition measures.
Secondly, the Commission knows that legislation is only part of the answer. The Commission has discussed with interested parties a series of actions for Member States, industry and consumers to take. These actions will complement legislation and seek to make the ban on 'spam' as effective as possible. They focus on effective enforcement by Member States, self-regulatory efforts by industry, technical solutions such as filtering and security, and consumer awareness.
On enforcement in particular, Member States must not only put in place adequate complaint mechanisms, remedies and penalties, but also prosecute 'spammers' effectively and monitor 'spam'. Cooperation between industry and public authorities is important in this regard. The Commission is also taking steps to improve cross-border cooperation inside the Union by meeting relevant authorities.
Since a large volume of 'spam' originates outside the European Union, international cooperation will also be essential. Several actions are under way in this regard. Let me mention some of them. Firstly the declaration and action plan agreed at the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society call for appropriate action on 'spam' to be taken at national and international level. Secondly the Commission will be hosting an OECD seminar on 'spam' on 2 and 3 February 2004 in Brussels. Thirdly, bilateral contacts are ongoing with third countries, including the competent authorities in the United States, since a large volume of 'spam' seems to come from US-based companies.
These actions are the subject of a communication on 'spam' which the Commission will adopt in the next few days. Finally, the Safer Internet Action Plan and, to a greater extent, its likely successor, Safe Internet Plus, will also fund activities relating to 'spam', including 'spam' sent to children.
To conclude, however, let me stress one element: no one party acting in isolation will be able to solve the problem; success will depend on the firm commitment of all interested parties."@en1
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