FITUG e.V. Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft

Electronic Signatures Directive: First Reading

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Mon, 18 Jan 1999 13:31:27 +0200
From:          Barbara Schleihagen <Eblida@nblc.nl>
Subject:       Electronic Signatures Directive: First Reading
Reply-to:      ecup-list@kaapeli.fi

Dear list subscribers,

Voting on 13 January 1999 on the report by German Green member
Wolfgang Ullmann on the draft Directive on a "common framework for
electronic signatures", the European Parliament amended in first
reading the draft Directive which was presented by the European
Commission last June. This was done to strengthen especially the
consumer elements and the protection of privacy.

The aim of the Directive is to contribute to the establishment within
the EU of a harmonised legal framework that guarantees electronic
signatures the same legal recognition as handwirtten signatures, and
to facilitate cross-boder recognition of signatures. The Commission
noted that the lack of security for electronic networks is one of the
major obstacles to the rapid development of electronic commerce.
Electronic signatures would allow the receiver of electronically
transmitted data to verify the origin of data and to ensure that they
are complete and unchanged.

The rapporteur stated that the general approach of the Commission is
good mainly because it places emphasis on the flexibility needed in
this field. The rapporteur was pleased that the proposed Directive is
"technologically neutral and open to authentification meansures other
than key cryptography".

The text of the Ullmann report - A4-0507/98 is available at: 
http://www.europarl.eu.int/

Best wishes,
Barbara Schleihagen

**********************************************************************
EBLIDA
Barbara Schleihagen, Director
Heidi Hogan, EU Policy Officer
P.O. Box 43300
NL-2504 AH The Hague
Tel: +31-70-309 06 08
Fax: +31-70-309 07 08
email: eblida@nblc.nl
http://www.eblida.org/


**********************************************************************
EBLIDA
Barbara Schleihagen, Director
Heidi Hogan, EU Policy Officer
P.O. Box 43300
NL-2504 AH The Hague
Tel: +31-70-309 06 08
Fax: +31-70-309 07 08
email: eblida@nblc.nl
http://www.eblida.org/