AlynSmith
Contents
Political Memory: Alyn SMITH, MEP
General Data
- Born on 15 September 1973, Glasgow
- Country: {{#icon:GB.png|United Kingdom||MEPs_GB}} United Kingdom
- Political Group: {{#icon:Verts.png|Verts/ALE||MEPs_Verts}} Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Verts/ALE)
Party: Scottish National Party
 Contact
{{#icon:Click_to_call_now.png|+32 2 28 45 187||callto://+3222845187}}
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Functions in European Parliament
- Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (Member)
- Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis (Member)
- Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula (Member)
- Committee on Culture and Education (Substitute)
- Committee on Constitutional Affairs (Substitute)
- Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee (Substitute)
Curriculum Vitae
- LLB (Hons.), Leeds University and Heidelberg University (1994)
- MA (Advanced European Studies) College of Europe (1995)
- Diploma in Legal Practice, Nottingham Law School (1996)
- Qualified solicitor, Clifford Chance, London (1999)
- Anderson Strathern Solicitors Edinburgh 2000-2002
- Scottish Parliament Advisor to Richard Lochhead MSP, Shadow Scottish Fisheries Minister 2002-2003
- Scottish Parliament, Scottish National Party Group Justice Business and Europe Advisor 2003-2004
Votes
- 24/11/2010 - Resolution on Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) 100.0/100
- 22/09/2010 - Rapport Gallo on enforcement of intellectual property rights in the internal market 100.0/100
- 06/05/2009 - Directives reforming the EU's regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services (telecoms package), 2nd reading 100.0/100
- 26/03/2009 - Rapport Lambrinidis on strengthening security and fundamental freedoms on the Internet 100.0/100
- 24/09/2008 - Directives reforming the EU's regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services (telecoms package), 1st reading 86.2/100
- 10/04/2008 - Rapport Bono on cultural industries in Europe 100.0/100
Opinions
Sources
- Written questions at European Parliament
- Proposals for a resolution at European Parliament
- Reports at European Parliament
- Opinions at European Parliament
- Speeches in plenary at European Parliament
- Written declarations in European Parliament
- Wikipedia
Positions
Thanks to improve this part with opinions from Alyn SMITH about La Quadrature du Net concerned issues (see page Help:Political_Memory to know how to do it).
25/05/2010 Written Declaration 12/2010 (ACTA)
Has signed written declaration 12/2010 on the lack of a transparent process for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) and potentially objectionable content.
09/07/2008 Reply to campaign concerning vote on IMCO & ITRE of Telecoms package
Many thanks for getting in touch with me and for drawing my attention to your concerns with some of the amendments to the proposed telecoms package. Since the Parliament's draft report on the package was under consideration by the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee I raised your concerns with my Green/EFA group colleagues on that Committee as I am not a member of the Internal Market Committee.
The Telecoms universal services report was adopted last night in Committee with my group voting in favour of it because of the multiple benefits it will bring to consumers. Regarding the issue as to whether amendments to the proposed telecoms package would allow internet service providers to monitor or block users' access to the internet by controlling the content of users' internet activities, the Commission's original proposal allows national regulators to take measures against service degradation and slowing of traffic over internet networks. It explicitly states that users must not have their online access unreasonably restricted. My group colleagues in the Internal Market Committee agree with this because we consider that using the internet is a service of general (economic) interest and that therefore it is very important indeed to ensure appropriate network management in order to prevent degradation of service.
In addition, the Greens/EFA had tabled an amendment to add that ISPs must ensure that subscribers can send and receive any form of content without prejudice of the needs to preserve the integrity and security of the networks. The compromise amendment keeps the same idea by stating that "the ability of users to access or distribute lawful content or to run lawful applications and services of their choice is not unreasonably restricted". Recital 14 confirms that "it should be the end-users' decision what lawful content they want to be able to send and receive, and which services, applications, hardware and software they want to use for such purposes, without prejudice to the need to preserve the integrity and security of networks and services". So these provisions do not give ISPs the right to monitor or block the traffic on the internet because of the content of subscribers' activities. Their purpose is rather to avoid slowing down of the traffic.
The report as adopted does not provide for "internet policing" by internet providers. It does not give ISPs the right to block anything unlawful for content purposes. My group believes that the public shoul be informed about activities that are unlawful, in particular because many parents do not know what their children do on the internet.
Like my group, I believe internet access is a service of general interest and a minimum quality of service must be guaranteed to all users. This report will go to the Parliament's plenary session in September and in the meantime we remain open minded to any ways in which to improve the proposed telecoms package further.
