EuroDIG 2009

14 - 15 September 2009

Takeways from the audience, conclusions and next steps

Multi-stakeholder approach

Multi-geographical participation: participants were very satisfied that participants from all over Europe attended the event, although some thought that it would be good to increase the number of participants from Eastern Europe in the future.

The participants noted that representatives from all major stakeholder groups, i.e. civil society, governments, youth, academnia, industry, parliamentarians, were present at the event. It would be good to have even more industry representatives in the future.

In particular the participation youth representatives and of parliamentarians in this year’s event was considered positive and it was noted that more youth and more members of national parliaments and of the European Parliament should be included in the future.

For the future, participants noted that it is important to increase the number of participants even more and to have an even greater variety of participants (also involving disability representatives more) and to continue ensure multi-lingualism.

Organisation and format of this and of future European internet governance meetings:

Participants noted the high quality of contributions and discussions of this years meeting and underlined the need to continue European IGF meetings. This would also allow Europe to speak with one voice in international internet governance meetings.

There was support to continue the light organisational structure with a flat hierachy.
Participants were in favour of having a small permanent central secretariat and there was support for the offer by the Council of Europe to provide this secretariat.

It would be important for the meeting to stay inclusive, representative and transparent. Finally, the creation of national IGFs (which can then report to European IGF) should be supported.

Central issues for European internet governance discussions:

Human rights were considered a central issue in internet governance and attention should be in particular on the question of how to implement and consolidate existing human rights standards in the context of internet governance.

The idea of the public service of the Internet, which also aims to ensure access, needs to be developed.

More media education was considered essential to empower users. Plans by national governments to increase media education need to be implemented; the Council of Europe should take the leadership in this.

A focus should also be on the challenges of internet governance and the developing world.

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