EURActiv Info Society

Viviane Reding, the EU’s incoming justice commissioner, is preparing a broad review of EU privacy rules in order to face new challenges, including the SWIFT agreement on the transfer of personal banking data to US authorities.

A leading figure in the information technology sector believes virtual doctors can help raise health standards in the developing world. Craig Mundie, chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft, says world population growth means low-cost technologies must become accessible for billions of people.

The European Commission is concerned about a draft Italian law requiring video-sharing platforms such as YouTube to check that user-generated content is lawful before it is posted. Many fear that the move - a clear breach of the E-Commerce Directive - could set a dangerous precedent for other EU countries to follow.

The European Commission is concerned about a draft Italian law requiring video-sharing platforms such as YouTube to check that user-generated content is lawful before it is posted. Many fear that the move - a clear breach of the E-Commerce Directive - could set a dangerous precedent for other EU countries to follow.

"You can be sure that fundamental rights, including data protection, will be top of my list," Reding made clear during her confirmation hearing with the European Parliament two weeks ago (EurActiv 13/01/10).

The EU's Data Protection Day on Thursday (28 January) will be the first public opportunity for the new commissioner in charge of fundamental rights, Viviane Reding, to spell out her priorities on Internet privacy, particularly regarding an upcoming review of the Data Protection Directive, officials close to the commissioner said.

The EU's Data Protection Day on Thursday (28 January) will be the first public opportunity for the new commissioner in charge of fundamental rights, Viviane Reding, to spell out her priorities on Internet privacy, particularly regarding an upcoming review of the Data Protection Directive, officials close to the commissioner said.

Today (21 January) the European Commission confirmed that it had cleared the merger between Oracle and Sun, saying that the deal would still allow adequate competition in the database market. 

The Commission originally halted the deal in November because it would include Oracle's acquisition of its biggest competitor in the database market, the MySQL database (EurActiv 16/11/09). Oracle had received US antitrust approval for the acquisition in August. 

In a complete U-turn, the European Commission has given its approval to Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems. Sources close to the negotiation of the controversial deal say Neelie Kroes, the EU's competition commissioner, bowed to political pressure from the US to approve the move.

In a complete U-turn, the European Commission has given its approval to Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems. Sources close to the negotiation of the controversial deal say Neelie Kroes, the EU's competition commissioner, bowed to political pressure from the US to approve the move.

Presenting his country's EU presidency priorities in Strasbourg, Zapatero made a passionate appeal for reducing the Union's energy dependence, which he said had increased by 9% in the last decade.

These imports, which amounted to 67 billion euros per year, represented wasted monies that the EU was "transferring to other countries," the Spanish premier warned.

Spain will push for a common European market in energy and eCommerce during its six-month EU presidency, Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero told the European Parliament yesterday (20 January), adding that the EU's '2020 Strategy' for economic and social renewal would form the cornerstone of his tenure.

Spain will push for a common European market in energy and eCommerce during its six-month EU presidency, Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero told the European Parliament yesterday (20 January), adding that the EU's '2020 Strategy' for economic and social renewal would form the cornerstone of his tenure.

After a shaky first hearing last week, Commissioner-designate for the Digital Agenda portfolio Neelie Kroes appeared before the group coordinators of the European Parliament's industry, research and enterprise (ITRE) committee yesterday (19 January). The meeting took place behind closed doors and against the wishes of European Commission President José Manuel Barroso (EurActiv 18/01/10). 

Neelie Kroes has managed to convince MEPs that she is up to the job of commissioner for the EU's 'Digital Agenda', according to MEPs who had the opportunity to quiz the Dutch candidate for a second time.

Neelie Kroes has managed to convince MEPs that she is up to the job of commissioner for the EU's 'Digital Agenda', according to MEPs who had the opportunity to quiz the Dutch candidate for a second time.

Microsoft offered to reduce from 18 to six months the period it retains the IP addresses of Internet users making queries through its Bing search engine, the company said. The change will be implemented over the next 12 to 18 months, it added.

In a statement, Microsoft underlines that "there are many good reasons to retain and review search data," such as improving the quality of search results, protecting against fraud and maintaining a secure and viable business. 

Microsoft's Bing search engine will retain private Internet search data for a maximum period of six months, the ICT giant announced yesterday (19 January) as EU antitrust regulators started to scrutinise the company's alliance with Yahoo.

Microsoft's Bing search engine will retain private Internet search data for a maximum period of six months, the ICT giant announced yesterday (19 January) as EU antitrust regulators started to scrutinise the company's alliance with Yahoo.

The second hearing could take place on Tuesday next week (26 January), MEPs said. 

Alternatively Kroes may face a round of questioning at a coordinators' meeting of the Parliament's committee on industry, research and energy (ITRE) at this week's plenary session in Strasbourg. 

Kroes faced MEPs at a hearing on 16 January to test her suitability for the Digital Agenda portfolio, assigned to her by Commission President José Manuel Barroso (EurActiv 15/01/10). 

Dutch members of the European Parliament are calling on Neelie Kroes, the EU's commissioner-designate for the new 'Digital Agenda' portfolio, to face a second round of questioning to rectify what they describe as her weak performance at a confirmation hearing last week.

Dutch members of the European Parliament are calling on Neelie Kroes, the EU's commissioner-designate for the new 'Digital Agenda' portfolio, to face a second round of questioning to rectify what they describe as her weak performance at a confirmation hearing last week.

The hearing, which allows MEPs to decide whether they will vote for the new Commission line up, showed that the former competition commissioner, who extracted multibillion fines from Microsoft, would likely be just as tough in her new assignment. 

However, the commissioner-designate often struggled to find the right words to say exactly how she would carry out the EU's Digital Agenda. 

On several issues, Kroes showed that markets were her first priority, and clamping down on anti-competitive behaviour her second. 

"We will call member states to order if they don't respect a liberal and competitive market" was one of many tough messages Neelie Kroes, EU commissioner-designate for the 'Digital Agenda' portfolio, delivered to MEPs at her European Parliament hearing yesterday (14 January).

"We will call member states to order if they don't respect a liberal and competitive market" was one of many tough messages Neelie Kroes, EU commissioner-designate for the 'Digital Agenda' portfolio, delivered to MEPs at her European Parliament hearing yesterday (14 January).

Digital rights management is high on the new Spanish Presidency's agenda and will likely be discussed by the EU's 27 telecoms ministers at their meeting in Madrid in May, EurActiv has learnt. 

A pan-European or 'multi-territory' licensing system for online music and films is gaining momentum as the Spanish EU Presidency intends to tackle digital copyright and online piracy in 2010.

A pan-European or 'multi-territory' licensing system for online music and films is gaining momentum as the Spanish EU Presidency intends to tackle digital copyright and online piracy in 2010.