EC Fleshes Out Anti-Spam Plans

by Ulrika Lomas, for LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels

17 July 2003

Speaking in Brussels on Tuesday, European Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society, Erkki Liikanen announced that EU member states only have until October to implement the directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications which was adopted last year.

In addition to the incorporation of the directive - which stipulates that internet users must 'opt in' in order to receive commercial e-mails - into national laws, Commissioner Liikanen revealed that the EC expects a Communication on spam to be adopted in the Autumn.

This will focus on 'effective enforcement, notably through international cooperation, technical measures for countering spam, and consumer awareness,' according to a Commission statement.

'Combating spam has become a matter for us all and has become one of the most significant issues facing the internet today,' Commissioner Liikanen explained on Tuesday, continuing:

'The EU, member states, industry, and consumers all have a role to play in the fight against spam both at the national and international level. We must act before users of e-mails or SMS stop using the internet or mobile services, or refrain from using it to the extent that they otherwise would.'

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