The European Network Revolution: Policy Challenges in the Internet Age

Amsterdam, 28-30 July 1999

The European Internet Seminars studied in depth how new internet-related policies in Europe are being created. In many cases, governments and industry will have to work together to achieve the best results, and form public-private partnerships. In other cases, the authorities opt for deregulation or industrial self-regulation. The European Internet Seminars will discuss whether governments react adequately to societal and industrial demands. What kind of conflicts arise? Is the international character of the network economy sufficiently reflected in co-operative fora? Which major flaws can be detected in European policy development? And where are successes to be found?

Wednesday, July 28
Location: Felix Meritis, Amsterdam

Opening and welcome
Monique van Dusseldorp, Director European Internet Seminars Association (and CEO Van Dusseldorp & Partners)

Keynote speech: Visions to an integrated approach to digitisation
Kim Veltman, Scientific Director, Maastricht McLuhan Institute (MMI), European Centre for Digital Culture, Knowledge Organization and Learning Technology)

Accessibility of the Information Society
Michael Knauth, Researcher, European Institute for the Media
Josephine Dries, Project manager, Netherlands Platform for Older People in Europe (NPOE)

Accomplishing social acceptance of change
James Stewart, Researcher, Research Centre for Social Sciences, University of Edinburgh (download presentation)
Jan Prins, Director, Dutch Chapter of the Internet Society

New demands for education and labour markets
Bernd Taselaar, Platform Education and Labour market, Dutch Association of the IT Industry
Gerd Junne, Chairman of the Political Science Department, University of Amsterdam

Thursday, July 29
Location: Media Plaza

Hands-on demonstrations of the newest technology
Marianne Herbert, Media Plaza

Felix Meritis, Amsterdam

Infrastructure and governmental involvement
Philip Weinberg, Research Analyst TIME (Telecoms, Information, Multimedia and Entertainment), McKinsey & Company (download presentation)
Erik Huizer, Managing Director, SURFNet Expertise Centre - GigaPort (download presentation)
Julf Helsingius, Senior VP Products and Services KPNQwest

Special session
16.30-17.30 Internet Governance
Esther Dyson, President EDventure Holdings and Interim Chair of The Internet Committee for Assigned Names and Numbers

Friday, July 30
Location: Felix Meritis, Amsterdam

Current issues in content regulation
Stefaan Verhulst, Programme Director, Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy, University of Oxford (download presentation)
Jo Groebel, Director-General, European Institute for the Media

Consumer protection: can industry self-regulate?
Anna Fielder, Director, Consumers International (download presentation)
Alastair Tempest, Director General,Federation of European Direct Marketing (download presentation)

Governments online and access to public information
Ola Kristian Hoff, National Expert, DG XIII, European Commission

Will the Information Society be what we expect it to be?
Prof. Karel van Wolfferen, Head, Institute for Comparative Political and Economic Institutions

The European Internet Seminars 1999 were supported by