EU Commission outlines changes to standards, rights management laws

The Commission has published its work plan for 2011, outlining what it hopes to achieve next year.

It will publish a "communication on a more integrated European Standardisation System and legislative proposal on standardisation, covering inter alia the ICT sector", it said.

"The initiative aims at speeding up and modernise (sic) standard-setting to enable interoperability and foster innovation in fast-moving global markets," said the work plan, which said that this would happen in the first three months of next year.

It will also publish a legislative proposal on collective rights management "to provide a clear and stable framework for cross-border services which rely on clearing a variety of copyrights," said the programme.

The Commission said that it was committed to taking action on the issue of web accessibility to try to ensure that everyone could use online material.

"There is need for concerted actions to make sure that new electronic content is also fully available to persons with disabilities," it said. "In particular, public websites and online services in the EU that are important to take a full part in public life should be brought in line with international web accessibility standards."

"Based on review of options, [the Commission will] make proposals by 2011 that will make sure that public sector websites (and websites providing basic services to citizens) are fully accessible by 2015," it said.

The work plan also included details of plans that will take longer to come to fruition.

Amongst these was a Commission plan to order airlines to hand over already-controversial passenger name records (PNR) to police. "[The] proposal provides that air carriers will be required to make available PNR data of their passengers to the Member States law enforcement authorities," said the plan.

It also included plans to review the Data Retention Directive and laws on misleading and comparative advertising.

It said that it would also conduct a review of trade mark law to try to streamline and simplify the processes and structures involved.