Annexes to COM(2002)152-2 - Amendment of Decision No 276/1999/EC adopting a multiannual Community action plan on promoting safer use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global networks

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dossier COM(2002)152-2 - Amendment of Decision No 276/1999/EC adopting a multiannual Community action plan on promoting safer use of the Internet ...
document COM(2002)152 EN
date June 16, 2003
ANNEX I


Annex I to Decision No 276/1999/EC shall be amended as follows:

1. under the title Action Lines the fourth indent of the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

"- to foster cooperation and exchange of experiences and best practices at European and international levels, especially with the candidate and accession countries";

2. under the title Action Lines the following third and fourth subparagraphs are added:

"Following the initial phase covering the period 1 January 1999 - 31 December 2002, a second phase will be organised during the period 1 January 2003 - 31 December 2004. This will build on the work to achieve the goals set out in the four action lines of the initial phase while making the necessary adjustments to take account of experience gained and of the impact of new technologies and their convergence, and ensuring coherence with other Community programmes.

in particular:

(i) The coverage of safer use will be extended, primarily with the aim of improving the protection of children and minors, to new online technologies, including mobile and broadband content, online games, peer-to-peer file transfer, text and enhanced messages and all forms of real-time communications such as chat rooms and instant messages;

(ii) Intensified action will be taken to ensure that, primarily in the area of the protection of children and minors, areas of illegal and harmful content and conduct of concern are covered, with an emphasis on crimes against children, such as child pornography and trafficking in children and on racism and violence;

(iii) More active involvement of the content and media industry will be encouraged, and collaboration with government-backed bodies active in the area will be expanded;

(iv) Enhanced networking will be encouraged among project participants in the various action lines, particularly in the fields of hotlines, content rating, self-regulation and awareness-raising;

(v) Steps will be taken to associate candidate and accession countries in ongoing activities and to share experience and know-how, and to increase links and encourage collaboration with similar activities in third countries, particularly countries where illegal content is hosted or produced, and with international organisations.";

3. in paragraph 1.1 the following sixth subparagraph is added:

"During the second phase, the aim will be to complete the network's coverage in the Member States and to improve yet further the operational effectiveness of the network, to work closely with safer Internet awareness actions, particularly so as to increase public awareness of the hotlines, to provide practical assistance to candidate and accession countries wishing to set up hotlines, to adapt best practice guidelines to new technology, and to expand links with hotlines outside Europe.";

4. in paragraph 1.2 the following fourth subparagraph is added:

"During the second phase, further advice and assistance will be provided so as to ensure cooperation at Community level through networking of the appropriate structures within Member States and through systematic review and reporting of relevant legal and regulatory issues, to help develop comparable assessment methodologies of the self-regulation framework, to help adapt self-regulatory practices to new technology by providing information on relevant developments in such technology and the way it is used, to provide practical assistance to candidate and accession countries wishing to set up self-regulatory bodies and to expand links with self-regulatory bodies outside Europe. Moreover, further support will be given to encourage quality-site labels.";

5. in paragraph 2.1 the following seventh and eighth subparagraphs are added:

"During the second phase, there will be a focus on benchmarking of filtering software and services (especially performance, usability, resistance to hacking, suitability for European markets and new forms of digital content). Assistance for developing filtering technology will be carried forward under the Community research programme. The Commission will ensure close liaison with activities relating to filtering under the Action Plan.

The second phase will promote the take-up of self-rating by content providers and the provision of information to users about European filtering software and services.";

6. in paragraph 2.2 the following third subparagraph is added:

"During the second phase, support will be given to bringing together the industries and parties concerned such as content providers, regulatory and self-regulatory bodies, software and Internet rating organisations and consumer associations, in order to foster conditions propitious for developing and implementing rating systems which are easy for content-providers and for consumers to understand and use, which provide European parents and educators with the necessary information to make decisions in accordance with their cultural and linguistic values, and which take account of the convergence of telecommunications, audiovisual media and information technology.";

7. Paragraph 3.2 is amended as follows:

(a) the fourth subparagraph is replaced by the following:

"The purpose of the Community support is to pump-prime broadly-based awareness actions and to provide overall coordination and exchange of experience so that lessons can be drawn from the results of the action on an ongoing basis (for instance by adapting the material distributed). The Commission will continue to take steps to encourage cost-effective means of distribution to large numbers of users, notably by using multiplier organisations, and electronic dissemination channels so as to reach the intended target groups."

(b) the following fifth subparagraph is added:

"During the second phase, support will be given to exchange of best practice on new-media education by means of a European network for raising awareness of safer use of the Internet and new online technologies, supported by

- a comprehensive trans-national repository (web portal) of relevant information and awareness and research resources,

- applied research on media education involving all interested parties (e.g. education, official and voluntary children's welfare bodies, parents associations, industry, law-enforcement) into children's use of new technologies to identify educational and technological means for protecting them from harm.

The network will also provide technical assistance to candidate and accession countries wishing to set up awareness actions and expand links with awareness activities outside Europe.";

8. In paragraph 4.2 the second, third and fourth subparagraphs are replaced by the following:

"The Commission will therefore organise at frequent intervals seminars and workshops addressing the various themes covered by the action plan, or a combination of such themes. Participation should include industry, user, consumer and citizens rights groups and government bodies involved in industry regulation and law enforcement, as well as leading experts and researchers. The Commission will seek to ensure broad participation from the EEA countries, from third countries and international organisations."


ANNEX II


INDICATIVE BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURE

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