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Politicians react

Members of the European Parliament react to our latest Poll on Internet Policy

 

In the last years people´s lives have changed rapidly. A wide range of opportunities has opened up due to new electronic devices and services online. The more time we spend online, the more data trails we leave. People now begin to worry what can happen to their personal data.

For me it is no question that personal rights as well as regulations concerning personal data should also apply to the internet. The right to delete or correct ones personal data should of course exist and terms of use of social media should be clear and easy to understand.

What we need is a free internet on the one hand but with a strong protection of personal data on the other hand. This is what the results of the latest European Youth Poll show. But to be honest, striking this balance is a challenge – especially with regard to the non-territorial nature of the internet.

Since the current European data protection legislation is seventeen years old, we need to modernize European protection law in a way that allows consumers to continue having trust in technological advances as well as in their ability to determine how their personal data is processed.

As Vice-President of the European Parliament I will do my very best to push these ideas forward.

Alexander Alvaro, Vice President of the European Parliament
To answer him: alexander.alvaro(at)europarl.europa.eu


 

First of all let me thank you for providing us with the information on the views of the European youth regarding some critical issues, which should perhaps concern them even more than the people who are making those decisions at the moment. And hopefully the your statistics on the number of participants in the poll, show that the European youth is becoming increasingly aware that the issues being discussed and decided upon today, will affect how we all live tomorrow. In particularly discussion relating to internet freedom, social media, migration, EU integration and enlargement can all severely influence the way we live and will live in the future. (I was also concerned to see that only four participants were from Slovenia). Click here to continue reading. 

Tanja Fajon, Member of the European Parliament (S&D Group)
To answer her: tanja.fajon(at)europarl.europa.eu




 
Dear Team of the European Youth Parliament,

First of all, I´d like to congratulate your team for the record of the most participants in the European Youth Polls in February. I highly appreciate your effort to make the opinion of young Europeans public and the effort of young people all over Europe to engage in active discussions about political issues.

As your polls show the Internet is an important medium for the discussion of political topics, which is used by 51,1 % and is for even more people an important way to get involved in politics. I warmly endorse my commitment in dialogue with European youth now and in the future. Click here to continue reading

Burkard Balz, Member of the European Parliament (EPP Group)
To answer him: burkhard.balz(at)europarl.europa.eu



I was truly heartened by the results of the latest European Youth Parliament survey, which shows that the majority of young people across Europe believe in a free internet and the right to freedom of expression online. This is the first generation that has grown up on the internet, and who, more than anyone else, will feel the curtailing of their digital liberties.

Over 70 per cent of young people who participated in the survey voiced their discontent with stricter enforcement of copyright laws on the internet, one of the main goals of the ACTA treaty. Their alarm is not without good reason; under the provisions of the agreement, people could be prosecuted for merely sharing a link to a newspaper article or posting a video on YouTube.  There needs to be a proportionate response to protection of copyright - artists should be able to earn a living but we should be able to distinguish between personal and commercial use. 

We must be under no illusion; ACTA - as it stands - will fundamentally and irreversibly change the way in which we communicate with our friends and family and how we use the internet. It also has profound implications for other issues, such as access to medicines. 

 I am delighted to see that Europe’s young people are continuing to make their voice heard on this most vital of issues. The message of this survey is clear - ACTA is not fit for purpose and must be consigned to the history books for good.

Jean Lambert, Member of the European Parliament (Greens/EFA Group)
To answer her: jean.lambert(at)europarl.europa.eu



I am in favour of net neutrality and against filtering of the net. But I am as well in favour of  paying authors for downloading their copyright protected content. In the digital environment copyright is not outdated, but has to be respected in order to credit the creators. My philosophy is digital rights fair trade. Authors need more negotiation power against old ( music industry) and new monopolies ( like Google). Not paying authors for their creative and intellectual work would at least midterm undermine cultural diversity. Therefore we need more legal offers for downloading and streaming of  cultural digital content. I call for easy access to content and the readiness to pay for it. Cultural content which is copyright protected has to be numerated so that artists, journalists and filmmakers can make a living out of it if they want to. If they want to work with creative commons that is okay. But authors must have a say on the conditions, that means changing copyright to put artists and authors in a better position and not to take their rights away.

Helga Trüpel, Member of the European Parliament (Greens/EFA Group)
To answer her: helga.truepel(at)europarl.europa.eu



At the end of January the European Commission has signed the ACTA agreement which it had negotiated on behalf of the 27 Member States of the European Union. Ever since, "ACTA" has been heavily criticised. I am delighted to see that so many young citizens have shown an interest in the subject and that they are prepared to take up a stance. It is encouraging that European politics seem to have found their way to young Europeans. After all, a lively discussion of European politics is necessary for European integration to succeed.
I would also like to congratulate you on the clear message that you have sent to policy makers when it comes to online data privacy. The fact that 95 percent among you call for the creation of a "right to be forgotten" on social networks illustrates that you are aware of the risks associated with using the internet and not, as often suggested, irresponsible in your approach towards sharing private data. I support this initiative and I agree that current legislation needs to be adapted to ensure that the power of the internet can be exploited fully without creating intolerable risks for the individual. Just like any other public space, the internet needs to be governed by clear rules. The challenge for policy makers will be to preserve at the same time all those things that make the internet such a special place.

Manfred Weber, Member of the European Parliament (EPP Group)
To answer him: manfred.weber(at)europarl.europa.eu

 

 

When the European Parliament, in 2010, started working on ACTA, the agreement indeed still contained a clause on the blocking of Internet pages. However, not least due to pressure from the Liberals in the European Parliament, this passage could be removed. Therefore, many of the concerns and reservations towards ACTA are simply no longer justified. In fact, the agreement stipulates that it may not come to an intrusion of privacy or a limitation of the freedom of expression as long as there has not been a breach of law. In countries, such as Germany, such rules related to copyright or data protection exist already - also without ACTA. Hence, if someone breaches copyright, he or she will be prosecuted. 

Nevertheless, some considerable mistakes have been during the course of the negotiations on ACTA, especially regarding transparency. Therefore, I am happy to see today that also the young generation is getting involved and critically assesses such a complex agreement as ACTA. This should not come as a surprise to us since you are using the Internet and social media to an extent that many politicians will never achieve in their life time. The Internet offers new possibilities regarding not only communication, participation and democracy but also commerce, health and culture. Rest assured that the Liberals will continue fighting for data protection, the freedom of expression and free Internet - yet, also for the protection of intellectual property rights. When artists, musicians or performers no longer receive money for what they do, then they will soon stop to create new music, films or works of art.

Nadja Hirsch, Member of the European Parliament (ALDE Group)
To answer her: nadja.hirsch(at)europarl.europa.eu

 

Please also check out the reactions of politicians to our previous Polls: Click here.


 


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