European Parliament invites contributions on electronic commerce
Mrs. Erika Mann, Member of the European Parliament (EP) responsible for drafting the EP report on the Commission's communication on electronic commerce, has issued an open letter calling for contributions to the debate. The letter (reproduced in full hereafter) calls on all interested parties to submit their contributions to the debate by 15 October 1997 at the latest. Dear Madam, Dear Sir, Electronic Commerce has in recent years become the focus of increasing attention. By some it is seen as the "killer application" which will push the supplier markets for computing and communications while for others it represents a "new economic paradigm" full of promise and risks. Which is the correct regulatory framework? One which addresses only the relationship between suppliers and customers or one which includes the whole value chain of commercial activities? How will electronic commerce develop in the future? What has to be done in terms of policies to open up opportunities without undue exposure to risks? How do we cope with the global implications of electronic commerce in a political framework which is largely national? These and many other questions are on the political agenda of the EU. The European Commission has prepared a Communication on the subject of Electronic Commerce (COM 97/157) which is now under consideration by the European Parliament. As European Parliament Rapporteur, I would like to invite interested parties to express their views on the issues identified in the Communication as well as all others they wish to put forward. Issues include, for example: - To what extent is regulation required? - Should it be predominantly national, European or global? - Which tax system should be applied to electronic commerce? - How can electronic commerce best be reconciled with traditional commercial relationships? - Are the proposals for a "uniform commercial code" in a context of global Electronic Commerce compatible with existing commercial practices and can this be implemented without transformation of commercial relations in general? - What guarantees and means are needed to provide for adequate protection of justified commercial interests including IPR, security (including confidentiality)? - What arbitration and enforcement mechanisms are considered necessary to make Electronic Commerce a fully acceptable option? - What international laws are required to provide global protection of Electronic Commerce? These are only some of the questions relating to issues which you may wish to address taking into account your specific context. Please do not hesitate to raise them so that, overall, we get a representative picture of the main concerns. Please use the following format for submitting contributions: Contributor: Name, Organization, E-mail address; Statement of issue(s) Discussion of issues Preferred solutions (what, who, when, what with?) Comments/Observations I hope you will be able to contribute and thus help us to get a better understanding of this strategically important subject and the options for addressing the key issues. With kind regards from one of your European Parliamentarians and Rapporteur on Electronic Commerce Erika Mann, MEP