(fwd) France, Germany, Italy block EU online shopping law

[lessmann@muc.de (Aleks A.)]

Aus: clari.world.europe.iberia
Hat jemand Genaueres dazu?
  	  				 
   BRUSSELS, Nov 27 (AFP) - France, Germany, Italy and Portugal  
have blocked agreement on a compromise for an EU law on how 
electronic signatures can be used to make online transactions 
secure, diplomats said Friday. 
   Speaking after a ministerial meeting, EU information technology  
and telecoms commissioner Martin Bangemann criticised the four 
countries's stance, saying they were underestimating developments in 
the information society, such as the Internet. 
   "Some member states are not aware of what they are doing. They  
are underestimating developments in the information society. They 
are not keeping up with the speed or the scope of changes," 
Bangemann said. 
   "They believe they can meet these new developments with old  
attitudes," he said at a news conference. 
   Bangemann also said interior and justice ministers have a role  
in the discussions on the electronic signature directive and they 
"have a lack of understanding of the technical process. They don't 
understand what they are doing." 
   The four member states want the directive to include a detailed  
annex of requirements on the security keys and verification devices 
that have to be used by electronic commerce operators, diplomats 
said. 
   The majority of member states don't want the directive to  
include specific technology solutions and say that doing so would 
inhibit technology developing in this area, they said. 
   British telecom minister Barbara Roche told the meeting that the  
changes demanded by France and the others would favour smart card 
technology rather than software or chip-based solutions, they said. 
   One diplomat said the French are trying to boost use of smart  
card technology developed by French computer company Bull. 
   Bangemann also said that including technical specifications in  
the directive could risk a trade conflict with the EU's trading 
partners. 
   The majority of member states favoured a solution that would be  
compatible with US and other worldwide regulations on electronic 
signatures, he said. 
   Discussions on the directive would resume next year, he said.  
  	   	

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