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<div class="">Dear all,<br>
<br>
I'm writing on behalf of a coalition of NGOs that are putting
together a letter to the Body of European Regulators for
Electronic Communications (BEREC) on the net neutrality
guidelines they need to issue by 30 August 2016. [1] Please,
find the letter attached and below.<br>
<br>
This is the list of the current signatories: <a
href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11YLPOVtG1ScqH_2KR1GU07fbpzCjRUrZ98FFmm9gd5g/edit#gid=0"
class=""><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11YLPOVtG1ScqH_2KR1GU07fbpzCjRUrZ98FFmm9gd5g/edit#gid=0">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11YLPOVtG1ScqH_2KR1GU07fbpzCjRUrZ98FFmm9gd5g/edit#gid=0</a></a><br>
If you want to sign on, please let me know or put the name of
your organisation and contact person <a
href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11YLPOVtG1ScqH_2KR1GU07fbpzCjRUrZ98FFmm9gd5g/edit#gid=0">here</a>.<br>
Deadline: 25 April<br>
Launch date: in principle, 26 April<br>
<br>
Thanks and best,<br>
Maryant<br>
<br>
[1] Article 5(3) of the EU Regulation on net neutrality: <a
class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32015R2120"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32015R2120">http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32015R2120</a></a><br>
Background info:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://edri.org/edris-first-input-on-net-neutrality-guidelines/">https://edri.org/edris-first-input-on-net-neutrality-guidelines/</a><br>
<br>
------------------<br>
26 April 2016<br>
<br>
Global open civil society letter to the Body of European
Regulators of Electronic Communication (BEREC) in support of
strong net neutrality guidelines <br>
<br>
The signatories of this letter support BEREC and its members in
their task to provide guidelines on the implementation of the EU
Regulation 2015/2120.1 The new EU regulation creates a basis for
strong and stable net neutrality safeguards. We therefore
encourage BEREC and the 28 national telecom regulators to bring
an end to the uncertainty and establish strong net neutrality
guidelines. Clear guidelines will ensure a digital single
market, with the freedom and legal certainty to provide services
across borders and consumer choice.<br>
<br>
We urge you to respect the Regulation's goal to “ensure the
continued functioning of the internet ecosystem as an engine of
innovation”, respecting the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the
European Union. Since the inception of the Internet, net
neutrality has been a vital precondition for freedom of
expression, freedom of assembly, competition and freedom to
conduct business.<br>
<br>
The success of the US and Indian consultations should boost
BEREC's work. 3.7 million comments were submitted to the US
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s consultation, while
over one million comments were submitted to the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). These are probably the
biggest direct democratic engagements in any telecom regulatory
issue in history. <br>
<br>
Now it is the European Union's turn. BEREC decided to put the
consultation at the very end of its decision making process,
with very little time to analyse the feedback and let alone take
it into account. We encourage you to reconsider the limited and
tight deadline for responding to your public consultation, so
you can duly consider citizens and stakeholders' input when
finalising the guidelines. A flexible approach to the deadline
will have no negative consequences, but will add credibility to
the process. <br>
<br>
In the elaboration of the guidelines, we ask you to consider the
following points:<br>
- "Services other than internet access services" (also known as
"specialised services") need careful consideration. Weak
guidelines could permit the circumvention of all net neutrality
safeguards.<br>
- Zero-Rating is a harmful practice that restricts consumer
choice, distorts competition, undermines the freedom to seek,
receive and impart information and the freedom to conduct
business. The Regulation should be understood as prohibiting
this abuse.<br>
- Traffic management should be as application-agnostic as
possible. Class-based traffic-management risks discriminating
against services, harming user choice, discouraging to use
encryption and would contradict transparency requirements
established under the Regulation. <br>
<br>
The difficult questions you are faced with in these months are
not about theoretical business models. You are setting the
limits and safeguards for the future of the Internet in Europe
and ensuring that Europe will not be globally disadvantaged by
anti-competitive restrictive practices. <br>
<br>
Signatories:<br>
</div>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Maryant Fernandez Perez
Advocacy Manager
European Digital Rights
Rue Belliard 20
B- 1040 Brussels
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://edri.org">http://edri.org</a>
Tel: +32 2 274 25 70
PGP: D59A 1D3F 50CC 231B DCFE 3F2C 92FA 6F29 3D74 0B42
@edri | @maryantfp
Donate to EDRi! <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://edri.org/donate/">https://edri.org/donate/</a>
Subscribe to the EDRi-gram, our fortnightly roundup of digital rights
news! <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://edri.org/newsletters/">http://edri.org/newsletters/</a></pre>
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