Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the "Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Creating a Safer Information Society by Improving the Security of Information Infrastructures and Combating Computer-related Crime: eEurope 2002"
Date: 2001-11-14
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: computer crime, confidentiality, electronic mail, information society, personal data

3.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 107/29

15.
shares the Commission’s view as to the desirability of a
polycentric development of the European area. This concept
could be the spatial framework to address the territorial
imbalances between and within the European macro-regions.
In order to apply such a concept, it is therefore necessary to
include the dimension of cooperation between regions and the

urban and rural dimension of development in the implemen-
tation of the Structural Funds. The degree of commitment of
the cohesion and regional policy instruments at different
policy-making levels must of course be appropriate to the
differences in situation and development between and within
these regions.

Brussels, 14 November 2001.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Jos CHABERT

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Communication from the Commission to the
Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the
Regions: Creating a Safer Information Society by Improving the Security of Information
Infrastructures and Combating Computer-related Crime: eEurope 2002’

(2002/C 107/11)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on Creating a safer information
society by improving the security of information infrastructures and combating computer-related crime
(COM(2000) 890 final);

having regard to the Decision taken by the European Commission on 31 January 2001 to ask the
Committee of the Regions for an opinion on this matter under Article 265, 1st paragraph of the EC
Treaty;

having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 13 June to draw up an opinion on this matter and
to instruct Commission 7 for Education, Vocational Training, Culture, Youth, Sport and Citizens’ Rights
to undertake the preparatory work;

having regard to the Draft Opinion (CdR 88/2001 rev. 3) adopted by Commission 7 on 1 October 2001
(Rapporteur: Mr Duppré);

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on A European initiative in electronic
commerce (CdR 350/97 fin) (1);

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on A Common framework for electronic
signatures (CdR 332/98 fin) (2);

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Cohesion and the information society
(CdR 270/97 fin) (3);

(1) OJ C 180, 11.6.1998, p. 19.
(2) OJ C 93, 6.4.1999, p. 33.
(3) 0J C 64, 27.2.1998, p. 20.

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3.5.2002

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Local and regional cooperation to
protect children and young people from abuse and neglect in the European Union (CdR 225/1999 fin (1))
and the recommendations of the Committee of the Regions’ seminar on Local and regional cooperation
to protect children from abuse 4 December 1998 (CdR 326/98 fin),

adopted unanimously the following opinion at its 41st plenary session on 14 and 15 November 2001
(meeting of 14 November).

The Committee of the Regions’ views and recommen-
dations concerning the Commission’s communication

The Committee of the Regions

concurs with the Commission Communication that
1.
Europe’s transition to the information society could be serious-
ly hindered by new forms of crime, making use of the new
information and communication technologies;

shares the view of

2.
the European Council and the
Commission that cybercrime is a threat which must be
countered by multinational measures, as it does not stop at
national frontiers and moves from country to country to
escape pursuit;

3.
welcomes the fact that in its Communication the Com-
mission has for the first time drawn the outlines of a work
programme covering the main problem areas, which both
describes the need for action in detail and includes an action
programme;

4.
notes that the Commission is thus fleshing out the tasks
related to network safety and the combating of cybercrime
(eEurope) agreed at the Feira European Council, whilst making
a distinction between legislative and non-legislative measures;

5.
stresses that the framework of countermeasures must be
broad, as new forms and techniques of cybercrime are
constantly emerging and doing ever more damage and thus
undermining public acceptance and use of the information
society;

observes,

6.
in line with the opinion of the European
Parliament and the views expressed by the European Com-
mission, that in the fight against computer-related crime, it is
essential to maintain a balance between the security aspects,
on the one hand, and the freedom of opinion and information,
on the other;

8.
notes in this context that regional and local authorities
often collect and administer particularly sensitive personal
data (e.g. in the social and health-care sectors), are involved in
the protection of local and other copyrights (cultural sector)
and run public service bodies which are able to communicate
with citizens more easily using information networks;

9.
therefore concludes that regional and local authorities
have a major interest in the effective combating of cybercrime;

10.
draws attention to the fact that regional and local
authorities are responsible for educational establishments and
are at present spending considerable sums on preparing
the ground for the extension of IT teaching in education
(connection of schools to the Internet); and therefore proposes
that measures be taken (provision of software, cross-border
exchange of information, chat-rooms) to inform schoolchildr-
en of both the security aspects of the information society and
the consequences of computer-related crime;

11.
also notes that the information society makes possible
new forms of civil society and regional and local democracy
and that these citizens’ networks, which often enjoy a high
level of participation, are particularly at risk of criminal attack
and external manipulation,
in some cases of a racist or
extremist kind; there is therefore a danger that confidence in
in future, also in electronic voting in
the services (and,
elections) may be undermined;

12.
points out moreover that some regions and local
authorities are responsible for law enforcement and that —
even when this is not the case — apprehending suspects and
— as in the case of child pornography — users of criminal
content requires local action, and that it must therefore be
ensured that staff of the law enforcement authorities are
sufficiently prepared for this task and consequently are also
given appropriate training, where necessary;

draws attention in this connection to the opinions
13.
which the Committee of the Regions has drawn up on the
combating of child pornography (2);

points out that the regions and localities are affected by
7.
cybercrime in two ways: as the victims of criminal attacks and
as regional and local authorities which are participants in the
combating of such crime;

14.
calls for campaigns (software, chat rooms) to foster
awareness of illegal activity and to show users how they can
protect themselves against criminal attack;

(1) OJ C 57, 29.2.2000, p. 46.

(2) CdR 225/1999 fin — OJ C 57, 29.2.2000, p. 46.

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C 107/31

15.
points out that increasing connection to networks
strengthens territorial cohesion in the Community and the
interconnection of regions and localities, and that it must be
ensured that this effect, which is very important for European
integration, is not hindered by cybercrime;

action programme and for representatives of regional and
local authorities to be involved in fleshing them out;

welcomes the proposal

18.
European forum to combat computer-related crime;

for the establishment of a

expresses its agreement with the views and proposals

16.
contained in the Communication;

calls for representatives of

19.
authorities to be involved;

the regional and local

17.
calls for specific arguments from the regional and local
perspective to be taken into account in implementing the

20.
finally, announces the intention of the Committee of
the Regions to monitor closely the implementation of the
individual proposals contained in the Communication.

Brussels, 14 November 2001.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Jos CHABERT