CO-OPERATIVE GOVERNANCE OF THE INTERNET: A EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE

Michael Latzerwww.ice.oeaw.a.c.at/latzer

Presented at the International Seminar "Internet: Prize Determination and Access Universalization"

April 2001, São Paulo

European Information Society

•promotion of the internet (access, e-commerce) = part of Information Society activies

•issues: universal access, consumer protection, privacy, content, electronic signature, e-money, IPR, taxation, ...

•since 2000: on top of political agenda of the EU

driven by•liberalization, globalization, convergence

•competition with USA and H

Worldwide Internet Users by Region, 11/2000

                                                                          

    

Homes connected to the Internet 8/2000 (USA), 10/2000 (EU)

 

                                                               

      

eCommerce Revenues (B-2-B&B-2-C)

Market Shares by Region (1997-2003)

                                                                         

                    

Mobile Users in EU and USA (10/2000)

                                                                                                        

   

European Information Society

characterized by•Mediamatics - the changed societal communications system

•Digital Economy - cha changed economic system- eCommerce

=> trend towards a transformed statism, a new role of the state in the mediamatics sector

Convergence Stages Toward Mediamatics

until 1970s since 1970s since 1980s

telecommunications TELEcommunications+

inforMATICS=

TELEMATICS

electr. MEDIA

+teleMATICS

=MEDIAMATI

CS

computers (informatics)

broadcasting(electr. mass media incl. CATV)

Statism

•functionally defined statism (state activities) changes- distribution of tasks within a btw states- distribution of political responsabilities- applied policy instruments- structure of the policy network- organization of regulatory institutions

•state statism until the 1980s

Transformed Statism: Overviw

1.from protectionism to the promotion of competition 2.separation of political/strategic and operative tasks, which are "privatized" 3.from vertical to horizontal regulation 4.from setor-specific to universally applicable regulation 5.from national to supra and internatioinal regulation 6.from state regulation to co-regulation 7.from central regulation to decentralized, technology-based self restriction