Cybersecurity, rollout of high-speed broadband networks and e-identification...

Cybersecurity, rollout of high-speed broadband networks and e-identification services top the list of telecom priorities for the Greek EU Presidency, whose six-month term began Jan. 1, Greece said in a work program. Greece will push to promote measures needed to establish a single digital market, it said. It will promote European Commission plans for cross-border and cross-sector laws that enable safe, reliable and user-friendly electronic transactions, and measures to cut the costs of deploying high-speed networks, it said. It also plans to work on ensuring a high level of network and information security across the EU, it said. The Greek government will “strive to promote” the EC proposal for a single telecom market, it said. Its program also includes work on making public entities’ websites accessible, and reviewing Europe’s digital agenda, it said. The presidency will help define the EU position for the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference, it said. On satellite issues, it will stress international relations and common minimum standards on rules for access to the public regulated service provided by the global navigation satellite system, it said. On digital content issues, the presidency aims to finalize procedures required for approval of legislation on collective rights management before European Parliament elections in May, said Maria Sinanidou, communications officer for copyright issues. It will also look at the future of copyright and the digital agenda, with a June 6 conference in Athens on current rules and future challenges, she said. Participants will consider how to make content accessible in a digital single market; how to deal with limitations and exceptions to copyright in the digital age and enforcement on the Internet; and future policy recommendations, the conference program said.