§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what decisions were made at the recent meeting of the Telecommunications Council on practical measures to deal with illegal and harmful content on the Internet. [6328]
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThe UK's "Internet Watch" self-regulatory framework for dealing with illegal and harmful content on the Internet was well received at recent meetings of the Commission ad hoc working group on this subject. In its report to the EU Telecommunications Council, the working group advocated the establishment of self-regulatory frameworks along the lines of "Internet Watch" in all EU member states.
At its meeting on 28 November, the Telecommunications Council welcomed this report. It adopted conclusions inviting member states to encourage and facilitate self-regulatory systems, possibly including reporting hotlines, and encouraging the provision of Pics-enabled software, to assist in the establishment of rating and filtering system. The Council also called on the Commission to foster co-ordination of self-regulatory bodies at Community level.
This is a highly satisfactory outcome, which will enhance the effectiveness of the "Internet Watch" approach.