<p class="MsoNormal">[<b style><u> Apologies if you
receive this e-mail more than once. Please share among all your relevant
contacts</u></b> ]</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style><u>Short version</u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You are all kindly invited to a workshop which will be held
on <b style><u>23 November 2012</u></b> in
Brussels, Belgium, to discuss a key component of the "No Disconnect
Strategy" of the European Commission, i.e. the development of a
"European Capability for Situational Awareness". </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The purpose of ECSA is to augment EU decision-making
capabilities with reliable and real-time (or almost real-time) information
concerning human rights violations in connection with the digital environment.
For further information see the full invitation below and the <b style>attached draft agenda</b> (which will be
updated in the coming days). <span style>The website of the workshop, where we will also publish
preparatory material and the reports of the workshop, will be available
shortly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For further information on the <b style><u>content</u></b> of the workshop, please <b style><u>write to me</u></b> (<a href="mailto:Andrea.Glorioso@ec.europa.eu"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black">Andrea.Glorioso@ec.europa.eu</span></span></a>).
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To <b style><u>participate in
the workshop</u></b> (no fee, but no reimbursement of expenses, either) please <b style><u>write to Ms Katrin Alfano</u></b> (<a href="mailto:Katrin.Alfano@ec.europa.eu"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black">Katrin.Alfano@ec.europa.eu</span></span></a>)
with your name/surname, nationality and ID / passport number. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style><u>Long version</u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In December 2011 Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the
European Commission and Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, launched the
"No Disconnect Strategy" (NDS), to support and assist human rights
defenders, civil society organizations and individual citizens against arbitrary
disruptions to the Internet and other electronic communication technologies and
indiscriminate surveillance in authoritarian regimes. [1]</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style>One
of the components of the NDS is the development of a "<b style>European Capability for Situational Awareness</b>" (ECSA) platform.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The purpose of the ECSA platform is to augment EU
decision-making capabilities with <b style><u>reliable</u></b>
and <b style><u>real-time</u></b> or <b style><u>almost real-time</u></b> information
concerning human rights violations and/or restrictions of fundamental freedoms
in connection with the digital environment. ECSA would seamlessly aggregate
public data from different sources and with innovative visualisation
techniques, to provide information on:</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:54pt"> <span style><span style>a)<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>What is happening in the Net, in terms of
network connectivity and traffic alterations or restrictions. The platform
should integrate and visualize different data sets analysing the "state of
the Internet" (nation-, region- or local disconnection, filtering,
blocking and other forms of disruptions) in order to allow decision-makers to
act upon reliable data concerning the "cyber-geography" of Internet
connectivity.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:54pt"> <span style><span style>b)<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>What is happening on the ground, in terms of
human rights, media, legal and policy developments concerning the Internet. The
platform should integrate and visualise data sets analysing legal and political
developments "on the ground" (e.g. arrests of journalists,
crack-downs on local NGOs, etc).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style> We
are well aware that there are a number of projects which are working on very
similar challenges – and some of these projects might have already developed
parts of what the ECSA platform wishes to achieve. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style>Accordingly,
the European Commission / DG Communication Networks, Content and Technology
would like to invite you to a <b style><u>workshop</u></b>
which will take place in <b style><u>Brussels
(Avenue de Beaulieu 25 – Building BU25 – Meeting room 0/S1) on 23 November
2012, from 09:30 to 17:00</u></b>, in order to:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style> </span></p>
<ol><li><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style></span></span><span style>present and discuss the scope, objectives and "success
criteria" of the ECSA platform;</span></li><li><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style></span></span><span style>present and discuss some of the projects that are working in
this field; </span></li><li><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span><span style>provide the opportunity for (social) networking and;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span style></span></span><span style>identify the best way in which the EU can provide <b style><u>added value</u></b> to strengthen
on-going activities and achieve the objectives of the ECSA platform, including
(where appropriate) via financial support;<span style>
</span></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style>The
workshop is meant to be as informal and operational as possible. If you think
you are working on a project that should be presented / discussed during the
workshop, please let us know by writing to <b style>Mr</b>
<b style>Andrea Glorioso</b> (<a href="mailto:Andrea.Glorioso@ec.europa.eu"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black">Andrea.Glorioso@ec.europa.eu</span></span></a>).
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style>The
draft agenda of the workshop is attached. The website of the workshop, where we
will also publish preparatory material and the reports, will be available
shortly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style>If
you wish to participate, please send your <u>name / family name, nationality
and ID / passport number</u> to <b style>Ms</b> <b style>Katrin Alfano</b> (<a href="mailto:Katrin.Alfano@ec.europa.eu"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black">Katrin.Alfano@ec.europa.eu</span></span></a>).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style>Please
note that at this point in time the European Commission will not be in a
position to reimburse travelling / living expenses for participants or
speakers. Should the situation change we will inform you accordingly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36pt"><i style>[1] <span style> </span>You
can find further information on the NDS at <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-11-866_en.htm?locale=en"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black">http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-11<span style="color:black">-866_en.htm?locale=en</span></span></span></a> (speech of
Vice-President Kroes at the Ministerial Conference on Internet Freedom, 9
December 2012, The Hague) as well as <a href="http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neelie-kroes/ict-human-rights-guidance/"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black">http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neel<span style="color:black">ie-kroes/ict-human-rights-guidance/</span></span></span></a> and <a href="http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neelie-kroes/eu-fighting-cybercensorship/"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black">http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neelie-kroes/eu-fighting-cybercensorship/</span></span></a>
(updates / further info on the work conducted so far).</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36pt"><i style> </i></p>
<div style="border-width:medium medium 1pt;border-style:none none solid;border-color:-moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext;padding:0cm 0cm 1pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border:medium none;padding:0cm"> </p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style><br>
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style>--<br>
Andrea Glorioso (Mr)<br>
European Commission - DG Communication Networks, Content and Technology<br>
Unit D1 (International relations) + Task Force on Internet Policy Development<br>
Avenue de Beaulieu 25 (4/64) / B-1049 / Brussels / Belgium<br>
T: +32-2-29-97682 M: +32-460-797-682 E: <a href="mailto:Andrea.Glorioso@ec.europa.eu"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black">Andrea.Glorioso@ec.europa.eu</span></span></a><br>
Twitter: @andreaglorioso<br>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/andrea.glorioso"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black">https://www.facebook.com/andrea.glorios<span style="color:black">o</span></span></span></a><br>
LinkedIn: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=1749288&trk=tab_pro"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black">http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=1749288&trk=tab_pro</span></span></a><br>
<br>
The views expressed above are purely those of the writer and may not in any
circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European
Commission.<br>
</span><span style lang="FR">Les opinions exprimées ci-dessus n'engagent que leur auteur
et ne sauraient en aucun cas être assimilées à une position officielle de la
Commission européenne.<br>
<br>
</span><span style>Be transparent
- Sign up to the European Commission's Register of Interest Representatives <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regrin"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black">http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regrin</span></span></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style> </span></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><br>--<br>I speak only for myself. Sometimes I do not even agree with myself. Keep it in mind.<br>Twitter: @andreaglorioso<br>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/andrea.glorioso" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/andrea.glorioso</a><br>
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