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European Parliament Considers D.C. Office
by William New
Members of the European Parliament are considering a proposal to establish representation in Washington, D.C., according to parliament member Erika Mann, an author of the proposal.
Mann, a Social Democrat from Germany who is a leading figure in trans-Atlantic policy issues, made the initial recommendation in an April report co-authored by parliament member James Elles, a British Christian Democrat.
Up to now, elected officials visiting Washington have had to rely on the delegation of the European Commission, the European Union's regulatory arm, which she praised for its efforts. In fact, the parliamentarians recommended the parliament-funded post be placed within the commission office.
"Our need is we think we have to work closer with Congress and with senators, and to follow the proposals more precisely than the commission can do," Mann said in a July interview. "For the parliament, it's important. You can't rely purely on the commission. It's a different way of thinking. It's political, but it's less political. I think in the future it's not possible."
"We don't know how it will be established," Mann said. "We want to evaluate and see if there is not a need to have our post in Washington. If there is, then will it be in the same building with the commission? I don't know. Will it be independent? I cannot tell you."
But "it needs to be done," Mann said, because the budget proposal will be debated and decided by parliament in October. The parliament administration will conduct the evaluation, she said.
Treasury Sends Anti-Terror Tech Help Overseas
Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the United States has provided technical assistance to dozens of countries to help them develop computer systems and the legal frameworks to fight terrorist financing, according to Tasia Scolinos, Treasury Department spokeswoman.
Actions are being taken on an interagency basis by the United States to "shut down the financial underpinnings of terrorist organizations," Scolinos said. "A central component of that ... has been building an international coalition." She declined to name the countries involved, but said they range in levels of development. "There have been a variety of different requests for help," she said.
Technical and legal experts, as well as government officials, are delivering the technical assistance. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, Deputy Treasury Secretary Kenneth Dam and other senior officials have placed hundreds of calls and made numerous visits to countries to promote the anti-terrorist effort, she said.
New WTO Head Names Deputies
Supachai Panitchpakdi of Thailand, who takes the reins of the World Trade Organization from New Zealander Mike Moore on Sept. 1, has named four deputies from different regions of the world. Deputies provide counsel and can influence political decisions at the Geneva-based trade body.
From the United States, Supachai named Rufus Yerxa, a veteran trade diplomat and lawyer who was the U.S. ambassador to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in Geneva, before the WTO's inception. He also served as the No. 2 official at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in the 1990s, and has extensive congressional trade experience. Most recently, he was international counsel at Monsanto.
The other deputies include: Roderick Abbott from the European Union, who led the EU delegation in Geneva; Kipkorir Aly Azad Rana of Kenya, who was ambassador to the United Nations and coordinator of African delegations to the WTO; and Francisco Thompson-Flores of Brazil, who has served in numerous embassies, currently as ambassador to Uruguay, and has been a chief trade negotiator on several occasions.
Australia Seeks Comments On Spam
At the request of Sen. Richard Alston, the Australian Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, the country's National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE) is conducting a review into unsolicited e-mail, or spam. The review assesses the extent of the problem and the adequacy of existing counter-measures for spam. It includes proposed recommendations for better management of spam. Comments are being accepted until Sept. 13.
NOIE also has released two discussion papers "Broadband in Education: Availability, Initiatives and Issues" and "Broadband in Health: Drivers, Impediments and Benefits" discussion paper for a meeting of the Broadband Advisory Group to provide a basis for discussion of the issues involved in the use of broadband in education and health. The group meets again on Sept. 12.
Canada's Rural Broadband Plan On Track, Official Says
Canadian Industry Minister Allan Rock earlier this month announced that the government remains committed to accelerating the establishment of a broadband network in rural Canada as a critical infrastructure for remote communities by 2005. Rock said in a statement that the funding timetable was being advanced by two years because of the importance of broadband in social and economic development. "Broadband can open up new possibilities for online learning, health care and access to government services," Rock said. The rural broadband deployment plan will be unveiled within weeks, he said.
.Cn Domains Rise Seen With Government Rule Change
The number of Chinese-based domain names with the .cn suffix likely will rise when the Chinese Ministry of Information Technology relaxes its rules on access for domain name applicants on Sept. 30, according to the government-owned China Daily. The process time for applications will drop from about five days to 24 hours, and costs are expected to come down, it said. Among Chinese Internet users, registrations for .com or .net domains far outnumber .cn, which is seen as a lost asset by the Chinese government, officials said.
European Commission Presses Wi-Fi Acceptance
The European Commission is pressuring five European nations to lift prohibitions on an Internet wireless technology called local access networks, the most popular form of which is wireless fidelity, or Wi-Fi. The Financial Times reports that France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain are being pushed to allow the technology, which allows users to connect to the Internet from many locations, such as cafes and hotels, without a physical connection. The technology is seen as surpassing third-generation mobile phones since it is faster.
World Summit Expects 100 Million Web Viewers Daily
The official Web site of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa Aug. 26- Sept. 6 is expected draw 100 million page views per day, according to Johannesburg-based ITWeb. The U.S. Council for International Business said in a statement that key issues in trade, investment, overseas development assistance and governance remain to be addressed at the summit. The International Chamber of Commerce has submitted a video for webcasting during summit highlighting new business proposals to be put forward there. The summit will attract a record number of heads of state, according to the European Union.
Brazil Expands Government E-Procurement
Brazil will require that state and local governments use e-procurement tools, following the phasing in of a law that extended the requirement faced by federal agencies. Under the law, agencies are obliged to purchase supplies and services online over the government e-procurement mechanism called Comprasnet, according to Business New America. The federal government has used the portal since 1995.
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