Digital Single Market

Too little, too late in EU Commission's digital agenda plan for Europe

The European Commission will today present a communication outlining its proposals for the Digital Single Market. Commenting on a leaked draft of the proposals Green digital rights spokesperson Jan Philipp Albrecht said: “The much-heralded Digital Single Market project for Europe looks set to be...

Trade secrets can harm

your health, your environment, your career

The European Parliament is now discussing a draft proposal to establish a EU directive on trade secrets. A proper balance needs to be found to avoid abusive claims of improper use of trade secrets and overbroad protection.

Free Software and Open Standards in the European Parliament

Ensuring utmost transparency - Free Software and Open Standards under the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament

Do public bodies in Europe have an obligation to move from closed source and lock-in to vendor independence and free software? In general probably yes, but is it also true for the European Parliament? Definitely!

Digital market/Google

MEPs fail to focus consumer rights and net neutrality

The European Parliament today adopted a resolution on the digital single market and the current legal proceedings against Google. Commenting on the vote, Green digital agenda expert Jan Philipp Albrecht stated: "The core principle guiding the debate on the Google anti-trust case and the digita...

Digital agenda, copyright and privacy under Team Juncker

Greens/EFA MEPs Jan Philipp Albrecht and Julia Reda give their initial impression

So, overall, are you happy with the proposal from Jean Claude Juncker? The overall structure proposed for this broad area of portfolios is generally positive. However, the jury remains out as to whether the candidates Juncker has assigned to the different portfolios - Věra Jourová, Günther Oet...

TISA services trade agreement

Leaked texts underline concerns with shadowy services talks

Wikileaks yesterday leaked negotiating texts from the ongoing negotiations on an international trade in services agreement (TISA). The leaks come ahead of the seventh negotiating round, taking place in Geneva next week. The Greens have previously raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the...

Data protection

Safe Harbour regime challenged in the light of US surveillance

The Irish High Court today, in its judgment in the case of student Max Schrems v Facebook, challenged the validity of the 2000 Safe Harbour decision, which allows transfers of personal data of EU citizens to the US, in the absence of adequate data protection standards. The Irish High Court has refer...

ECJ ruling

Search engines must respect data protection law

The European Court of Justice today ruled that search engine operators such as Google are responsible for the personal data they process and that affected individuals are entitled to request erasure of their details from the search index. Commenting on this ruling, Jan Philipp Albrecht, justice...

ECJ judgment

EU data retention directive has been scrapped

Commenting on the judgment of the European Court of Justice in the case brought against the EU Data Retention Directive, Jan Philipp Albrecht, justice and home affairs spokesperson for the Greens/EFA group, stated: "The blanket, unjustified collection and retention of telecommunications data i...

Seed market regulation

New study highlights concentration in seed market and implications for draft EU rules

The Greens/EFA group today presented a new study highlighting the concentration of the European seed market (1). In contrast with claims by the European Commission that market concentration is not a problem, the study revealed five companies (also producing agrochemical products) control more than 5...

NSA Scandal

European Parliament’s Centre-right and Social Democrats delay possible questioning of Edward Snowden

  Following on from the creation in September of a European Parliament Inquiry into the electronic mass surveillance of European citizens, the European Parliament’s Justice and Home Affairs committee has again decided to postpone any discussion on a possible invitation to Edward Snowde...

Victory in EP on the reform of collective rights management organisations

On 26 November, the Gallo report on Collective Rights Management was unanimously adopted by the Legal Affairs committee. This new directive is an important victory in the EU Parliament. It is a key step to increase the transparency of collective rights organisations in Europe, to improve the management of the money they collect and its proper distribution in the interest of the artists and the authors.