The eighth meeting of the contact network of national authorities responsible for the matter of unsolicited communications (spam) was held on 7 June in Brussels, attended by representatives of the authorities from most member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA).
At the meeting, the European Commission (EC) stressed the major differences in the number of complaints in the different member States and asked about the factors that could explain that situation. Studies produced by the EC have confirmed spam?s negative impact. But it is also necessary to extend actions to other issues such as phishing and malware. Some cases have been led to legal proceedings, but without major publicity; the EC has also underscored that the impact of the reduction in spam was probably due to the action of authorities and the amount of the applied fines.
The meeting also considered membership in the Spotspam project. The European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) presented the results of a questionnaire on security measures adopted by industry to comply with the rules set out in the regulatory framework for electronic communications, while Sweden presented the result of a study on spam in mobile phones. Regarding the spyware/malware topic, the EC explained that the main problems concern the lack of information provided to consumers.
The Commission likewise presented two studies from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), indicating that the results were in line with what the EC has been defending. The OECD?s extensive reach is a significant factor and the publication of these documents is an important step in the global fight against spam.
This Contact Network?s next meeting is scheduled for November.
