Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending 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
Date: 2002-03-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Internet, action programme, child protection, information technology, technical regulations

C 203 E/6

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

27.8.2002

Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending 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

(2002/C 203 E/02)

COM(2002) 152 final — 2002/0071(COD)

(Submitted by the Commission on 22 March 2002)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 153(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee,

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions,

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty,

Whereas:

for and contributor to European and global cooperation.
Cooperation between the Community and candidate
countries should be enhanced.

(6) More time is needed for actions to be implemented to
enhance networking,
the
action plan and to take account of new online tech-
nologies.

to achieve the objectives of

(7) The financial framework constituting the principal point
of reference for the budgetary authority during the annual
budgetary procedure should be amended accordingly.

(8) The Commission should be required to present a second
report on the results obtained in implementing the action
lines after four years and a final report at the end of the
action plan.

(1) Decision No 276/1999/EC (1) was adopted for a period of

(9) The list of applicant countries able to participate should

four years.

be amended by including Malta and Turkey.

(2) In accordance with Article 6(4) of Decision No
the Commission has submitted to the
276/1999/EC,
European Parliament,
the Economic and
the Council,
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions an
evaluation report (2) on the results obtained at the end of
two year in implementing the action lines set out in
Annex I to that Decision.

(10) The Action Plan should be extended for a further two
years duration which should be regarded as a second
phase;
the
should be amended,
second phase,
taking account of the experience and the findings of the
evaluation report.

to make specific provision for

the action lines

in order

(3) The findings of the evaluation formed part of the basic
documentation for a workshop on safer use of new online
field
technologies at which leading experts
examined the
issues
addressed by the action plan laid down in Decision No
276/1999/EC (hereafter referred to as the ‘action plan’)
and made recommendations to the Commission.

in the
the

evolution of

likely future

(4) New online technologies, new users and new usage
patterns create new dangers and exacerbate existing
dangers at the same time as opening a wealth of new
opportunities.

(5) There is a clear need for coordination within the safer
Internet field, both on the national and the European
level. There should be a large degree of decentralisation
using networks of national focal points. The involvement
of all the relevant actors, especially a greater number of
content providers in the different sectors, should be
encouraged. The Commission should act as a facilitator

(11) Decision No 276/1999/EC should therefore be amended

accordingly,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Decision No 276/1999/EC is amended as follows:

1. The title is replaced by the following:

‘Decision No 276/1999/EC of the European Parliament and
of the Council of 25 January 1999 adopting a Multiannual
Community Action Plan on promoting safer use of the
Internet and new online technologies by combating illegal
and harmful content (eSafe)’

2. Article 1(2) is replaced by the following:

(1) OJ L 33, 6.2.1999, p. 1.
(2) COM(2001) 690, 23.11.2001.

‘The action plan shall cover a period of six years from 1
January 1999 to 31 December 2004.’

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3. Article 1(3) first subparagraph is replaced by the following:

5. Article 7(2) is replaced by the following:

framework for the implementation of

the
‘The financial
action plan for the period from 1 January 1999 to 31
December 2004 is hereby set at 38,3 million euro.’

4. Article 6(4) is replaced by the following:

‘At the end of two years, at the end of four years and at the
end of the Action Plan, the Commission shall submit to the
European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions, once the
committee referred to in Article 5 has examined it, an
evaluation report on the results obtained in implementing
the action plan referred to in Article 2. The Commission
may present, on the basis of those results, proposals for
adjusting the orientation of the action plan.’

The action plan shall be open to participation of

‘2.
applicant countries on the following basis:

(a) those from central and eastern Europe (CEECs),

in
accordance with the conditions established in the
Europe Agreements,
in their additional protocols, and
in the decisions of the respective Association Councils;

(b) Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, in accordance with bilateral

agreements to be concluded.’

6. Annex I
Decision.

is amended as set out in the Annex I to this

7. Annex II is replaced by the text in the Annex II to this

Decision.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

ANNEX I

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

1. Under the title Action Lines the following third subparagraph is added:

‘Following the initial phase covering the period 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2002, a second phase will be
organised during the period 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2004. This will build on the achievements of the initial
phase while making the necessary adjustments to take account of experience gained and of the impact of new
technology. In particular:

(i) The coverage of safer use will be extended 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) Action will be taken to ensure that areas of illegal and harmful content and conduct of concern are covered,

including 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 countries in ongoing activities and to share experience and know-how,
and to increase links and encourage collaboration with similar activities in third countries and with international
organisations.’

2. In paragraph 1.1 the following sixth subparagraph is added:

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

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3. 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 co-operation 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
to help adapt self-regulatory practices to new technology by providing systematic
self-regulation framework,
information on relevant developments in such technology and the way it is used, to provide practical assistance
to candidate countries wishing to set up self-regulatory bodies and to expand links with self-regulatory bodies outside
Europe.’

4. In paragraph 2.1 the following seventh subparagraph is added:

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

5. 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.’

6. 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 use of existing networks will permit cost
saving, but additional financing is required to produce the relevant content and 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 resources;

— applied sociological research 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 countries wishing to set up awareness actions and
expand links with awareness activities outside Europe.’

7. 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.’

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ANNEX II

INDICATIVE BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURE

1. Creating a safer environment

2. Developing filtering and rating systems

3. Encouraging awareness actions

4. Support actions

20-26 %

20-26 %

42-46 %

3-5 %

Total: 100 %