EU action smes and telecomms
Jinfo Blog

7th May 2009

By Diana Nutting

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To coincide with European SME (small and medium sized enterprises) week, a Commission initiative aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and raising awareness about business support, the European Union is promoting its RAPID database, which is concerned with the collecting, processing and publishing of Press Releases http://digbig.com/4yrpg The RAPID database contains all the Press Releases of the Commission since 1985, the great majority of them in at least two languages. It also contains Press Releases of some of the other European institutions, particularly the Council of the Union. Press releases of the Commission are available in at least English and French (the working languages of the Commission Press Room), while many of the Press Releases are available in all EC languages. The database allows full text search, subscription for notifications, and personalised views. . At the same time the European Parliament has voted through a massive tranche of reforms for the European telecommunications sector, including a significant net-neutrality amendment. The vote marks the first time that internet access has been recognized in European law as a fundamental right on a par with freedom of expression. The legislation also compels European telecoms and internet service providers (ISPs) to notify their customers of any personal data breaches, the first time they have been required to do so. It also establishes a new pan-European telecoms authority (the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications, or Berec), which will supersede the less formally arranged European Regulators Group. http://digbig.com/4yrph

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