European parliamentarians once again call for respect for the principle of network neutrality

This month, parliamentarians from several European countries are more actively involved in the discussion of the principle of network neutrality. Just the other day, the Berlin city parliament made a statement in support of this principle. In addition, on November 17, the Luxembourg Parliament adopted a declaration, according to which the principle of network neutrality should be: (a) fixed at the level of the country's legislation, and (b) recommended for adoption by other EU countries. The position of the Luxembourg parliamentarians, which is close in spirit to the statements of their colleagues from France and the Netherlands, was expressed as follows (our translation):

“Network neutrality is a fundamental principle of the Internet, providing for the equality of any type of information transmitted and guaranteeing equal rights of Internet access for all users. Network neutrality is a key factor in the successful development of the economy, the involvement of citizens in public life, the creation of a complete information picture and the dissemination of knowledge. ”

In the final part of the declaration it was noted:

“Any deviation from the principle of network neutrality should be fixed at the legislative level and controlled by regulators ... however, today there are cases when network operators violate the principle of network neutrality in order to maximize their profits ... therefore, we [Parliament] urge the Government to fix the principle of network neutrality at the level of legislation ”.

The same day, the European Parliament overwhelmingly voted to preserve the principles of openness and neutrality of the Internet . MEPs called on the European Commission to establish control over the methods of managing Internet traffic. Such control will have to ensure compliance with the principle that "Internet providers do not have the right to block or restrict users' access to any services or sources of information, regardless of their nature . " In addition, parliamentarians called on the European Commission to develop EU guidance documents that ensure compliance with the principle of network neutrality on the part of European operators. The deputies also requested the European Commission to assess the need for additional regulatory rules that provide for freedom of expression, access to information and choice for consumers, as well as for 6 months after the publication of the report of the Council of European Regulators in the field of electronic communications (BEREC) media freedom.
During the meeting of the Council on Transport and Telecommunications, which will be held on December 13, 2011, the ministers of the European Union countries are planning to adopt a number of documents to ensure the openness of the Internet and the observance of network neutrality in Europe. Earlier, on November 24, the British regulator, Ofcom, made a statement about network neutrality , in which he announced intentions to take action if "the practice of blocking certain services from mobile operators continues" .
This news is encouraging, but a lot of time will pass before the start of active actions by the authorities.
The principle of openness of the Internet is supported by both ordinary users and developers of innovative technologies, fighters for human rights and simply sensible people, which include parliamentarians. The struggle is for the right of people on the Internet to do whatever they want, not just what they are “allowed”. In Europe, there have already been cases when restrictions were imposed not only on VoIP services, but also on instant messengers, peer-to-peer networks, video and audio transmission, as well as downloading updates. Conversations on this topic have been going on for a long time. Today is the moment when you need to move to action in order to protect the freedom of access to any kind of information in Europe, erasing artificial barriers that stand in the way.