EU sets new digital media rules
293090
The EU agrees on new rules for TV and on-demand internet video, allowing more advertising.
189720
Broadband inequality and piracy to blame The European Commission has identified unequal broadband provision and piracy as major "roadblocks" to the development of Europe's online creative content industries.â¦
360149
The European Commission sought Wednesday to boost Europe&#39;s chances of dominating the emerging market for mobile television technology by pushing for a single European standard.
623020
Cooling the continent The European Council yesterday laid down new regulations for implementing strict energy efficiency rules for government authorities EU-wide.â¦
429509
Brussels on Wednesday tightened the screws on European Union governments that have broken the bloc&#39;s common rules, in a drive to prise open national markets for companies in the gambling, telecommunications and financial services sectors, and the legal profession.
12088
John Reid says 'do as we say' Franco Frattini, the reactionary EU commissioner leading a campaign against violent and "perverse" video games, is expected to push for the UK's ratings laws to be applied across Europe.â¦
149622
New rules should make it easier for UK net users to switch broadband suppliers.
63556
Reformers shift battleground to Court of Justice The European Commission has quietly iced plans to reform copyright levies, just days before they were due to go into effect.â¦
339059
The European Commission will make  proposals by mid-2008 aimed at creating a single European  market in the burgeoning sector of online music, films and  games, it said on Thursday.
292227
Sony's first digital audio players to support MP3 files have been released in Europe in a significant change in strategy.
680357
TV news and children's shows could be threatened by an EU plan to overhaul ad rules, politicians warn.
159360
A proposed law would require companies to keep detailed data about peopleâs Internet and phone use that goes beyond a European Union directive.
352410
An electronic gadget that promises to  unshackle consumers from their TV sets became available in  Europe for the first time on Tuesday, opening up new ways for  users to watch television wherever they go.
713705
The European Commissioner in charge of the single market, Charlie McCreevy, said Thursday he is restarting a consultation with industry with the aim of simplifying the European Union&#39;s approach to copyright levies.The move comes 14 months after the Commission abandoned a similar effort, following pressure from France and from lobbying by the music and film industries.Levies are slapped on a wide range of machines, ranging from photocopiers and re-writeable CDs and DVDs to mobile phones and MP3 players, in varying degrees in the 27 different countries. Their aim is to compensate rights holders when their copyright-protected material is copied.Levies on MP3 players, for example range from nothing to &#8364;15 ($21) depending on the rules in different E.U. countries. McCreevy said the current system is &quot;incoherent&quot; but he played down hopes of a total overhaul of the status quo.&quot;What is the right level? There are no easy answers,&quot; he said, during a press conference as he announced a consultation that will run until April 18. After hearing back from industry and from consumer groups the Commission will hold a conference in June &quot;to see if there is common ground&quot; to streamline the current system. &quot;Last time I suspended the initiative because there was no hope then. Now it should be possible,&quot; he said.Gadget makers welcomed the move. &quot;As an industry, we fully support fair and proper compensation for artists, creators and other rightholders. Industry is not advocating for private copy levies to be abolished, but has repeatedly demonstrated that the current system of &#39;rough justice&#39; is opaque, unfair to consumers and industry, and does not fulfill the stated purpose of fairly remunerating right holders,&quot; said Mark MacGann, director General of EICTA, the organization that represents the information and communications technology and consumer electronics industries in Europe.According to EICTA, levies collection has more than tripled since 2001, when the E.U. passed a copyright law designed to suit the digital age. The law permitted copying of copyrighted works such as music for personal use, but allowed individual member states to set levels of levies to help compensate artists.McCreevy said he had no plans to overhaul this law. &quot;The directive allows member states to set levies. There are no plans to do away with this. We just want to get some realism.&quot; He added: &quot;Hopefully people will come [to the conference in June] with an open mind.&quot;Meanwhile, McCreevy announced a parallel initiative to extend the period of copyright protection for performing artists from 50 years to 90 years. Stars that performed other people&#39;s songs in the 1950s, as well as the session musicians of that time, are at risk of being completely cut off from airplay and recording royalties just as they reach retirement age, McCreevy said.Extending the copyright period by 40 years won&#39;t have any impact on the price of music, McCreevy said.Both copyright-related initiatives will require political approval from national E.U. governments.
350522
The EU Telecommunications Council today today launched Safer Internet Plus, a scheme to help parents and teachers control what children view online.
376575
Blog: A ruling by the top court in the European Union deals another blow to the recording industry's efforts to fight the distribution of copyrighted recordings through file-sharing networks.
684307
BRUSSELS, -- The European Union unveiled a new antismoking campaign that calls on governments to put both horrific and humorous pictures on cigarette packs to deter people from smoking.