The Telecoms Package is a set of European Directives regulating electronic communication networks which will deeply affect laws on telecommunications, the Internet and future networks of the Member States of the European Union for many years to come (1).

Several harmful amendments to the Telecoms Package, installed during the Second Reading, will be voted on March, the 31st, in the IMCO and ITRE Committees in the European Parliament. Most of those amendments weaken or make void any protection for the consumers, allow practices which are detrimental to the fundamental rights of the citizens, and give wide powers to telecommunication companies, entertainment industries and IT security industries. Amendments pertaining to traffic network discrimination allow Internet providers to filter contents and applications, and to give priority to certain services whilst blocking others. Consequences will be catastrophic for citizens' freedom as well as for Internet based innovation. Any business operator, any Web site owner, will be no more able to reach the entirety of the web surfers. Conversely, every Internet user will see only the portion of the Web which the provider allows to be visible.

Second reading of the Telecoms Package have experienced heavy lobbying, during which the corporate economical interests are willing to prevail over the fundamental rights of the european citizens, in order to acquire a strong control of the Net. 91% of the european citizens do not want net discrimination (2). BEUC, the European Beureau of 42 consumers' rights associations representing millions and millions of european citizens, expressed an extremely negative view about discriminations and warned on the devastating impact for consumers in case of adoption of the harmful amendments (3).

Open and non-discriminating access, which has always been the basis for the growth of the Internet, is threatened by american telcos which pushed a series of amendments which will create a permanent state of bandwidth scarcity and will allow to prioritize some contents, applications and services over others. These practices will discourage investments on network infrastructure, prevent competition and innovation and will seriously threaten freedom of speech.

Scambio Etico Association President, Luigi Di Liberto, said: "We are looking astonished at the abuses committed by corporations and major lobbies on countries like France and United Kingdom, which have always been a symbol for freedom and democracy. Inexplicably, these countries are surrendering to a supranational direction which aims to limit freedom and competitive growth of the Internet. They fear a Net which is becoming a source of knowledge and awareness without filters. We will not remain inactive in front of this privacy and freedom sack which has been planned: we are mobilizing to an information and awareness campaign which will avoid us falling into the abyss of obscurity toward which they would like to push us".

(4) How the EU is bargaining the internet: http://www.iptegrity.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=287&Itemid=9