Commission proposes to strengthen financial supervision in Europe

Further responding to the financial crisis, the European Commission has adopted a key legislative package today to strengten financial supervision in Europe. It envisages the creation of a European Systematic Risk Board (ESRB), which is to monitor and assess risks to the stability of the EU's financial system as a whole. Where necessary, it is to issue warnings and recommendations to prevent dangerous situations from materialising. The package also envisages the creation of a European System of Financial Supervisors (ESFC) along with the creation of three new European Supervisory Authorities.

These authorities for the banking, securities and pension sectors will be responsible for the coordination and facilitation of the work of national financial market supervisors. The current financial crisis has highlighted weaknesses in the EU's supervisory framework, which remains fragmented along national lines despite the creation of a European single market more than a decade ago. The new European supervisory system is designed to prevent the EU getting to the point reached in autumn 2008 where banks had to be bailed out. The package is being presented one day before the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh where a global reform of the financial markets will be high on the agenda.

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FIRST MoReq2 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE ANNOUNCED; MoReq2 ROADMAP MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCED

At the DMS Expo in Cologne (Germany), Toivo Jullinen, Chairman of the EU-sponsored DLM Forum, a European community of Information and Records Management experts from both the public and private sector, today presented Mr Karl Mayrhofer of Fabasoft AG of Linz, Austria, with the Certificate of Compliance to mark the successful testing of MoReq2, the European specification for Electronic Records Management.

Toivo Jullinen, Head of Strategic Planning, National Archives of Estonia, and Chairman of the DLM Forum, commented: “On behalf of the Executive Committee of the DLM Forum, we are delighted that all the hard work carried out over the past three years to develop the MoReq2 specification has resulted in the first certification of a product. I would like to congratulate Fabasoft for taking the initiative and offer our thanks to imbus for completing the testing of the first MoReq2 certified product.”

“The DLM Forum today also announces the development of the MoReq2 Roadmap for the maintenance and development of MoReq2. We invite other government and commercial organisations, regulators and vendors to adopt the MoReq2 specification, and join the DLM Forum community to be informed of the latest developments and best practice records and information management across Europe; and the related certified suppliers.”

For Inforesight Limited, Director Marc Fresko commented “As leader of the MoReq2 development team and member of the MoReq Governance Board, I am thrilled at this major milestone. The Information Management community in Europe is now truly positioned to benefit from the best practice standards-based approach MoReq2 offers to all.

The road is now open for other software vendors to follow Fabasoft’s lead, and the announcement of the Roadmap means the future direction of MoReq is clear, open, and assured.” Karl Mayrhofer, CEO of Fabasoft Distribution said: “We at Fabasoft AG are proud to be the first company to receive compliance with MoReq2 specifications, which demonstrates our commitment to providing the latest electronic records management products in Europe.”

The testing for compliance was carried out by the first DLM Forum-approved testing authority, imbus AG of Möhrendorf, Germany, from whom Thomas Rumi, (Managing Consultant, Testing Service, Lead of the imbus TestCenter) commented: “Imbus is pleased to have completed the first successful testing of the MoReq2 specification and we look forward to working with other major vendors that seek to gain compliance with this exciting new specification for electronic records management across Europe.”

The representative and observer for the European Commission on the DLM Forum Executive Committee, Jef Schram, added these words: “On behalf of the EU, which provided initial financing for the development of the MoReq2 specification, we are delighted that the first certified product has been tested and certified. The European Commission continues to support MoReq and looks forward to further involvement with the DLM Forum in this crucial part of the EU’s plans to advance best practice in electronic information management in the future”. Representatives of the Europe-wide National Archives across the EU have welcomed this development.

Richard Blake, Senior Manager Public Sector Team at The National Archives commented: “We welcome these announcements which will encourage a wider adoption of electronic records management through the MoReq2 programme.”

Dr. Michael Hollmann of the Bundesarchiv added: “The German Bundesarchiv as member of the DLM Forum supports the MoReq2 initiative and congratulates Fabasoft on obtaining the first MoReq2 certification."

E-health hampered by interoperability glitches

According to Euractiv.com, ptential cost-savings from e-health are being jeopardised because computer systems cannot talk to one another, according to experts. Healthcare IT specialists also warn of resistance from healthcare workers and patients amid ongoing concerns over data protection.

Potential cost-savings from e-health are being jeopardised because computer systems cannot talk to one another, according to experts. Healthcare IT specialists also warn of resistance from healthcare workers and patients amid ongoing concerns over data protection.

Continue reading here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/health/health-hampered-interoperability-glitches/article-185309

EU firms voice fears of trade secret 'leakage' in China

Euractiv.com reports today that Confidential data provided by European companies to the Chinese authorities as part of patent applications and environmental impact assessments are being leaked to local competitors, according to the European Union's Chamber of Commerce in China.

There is a growing concern amongst European companies about the "leakage of confidential information," with Chinese government agencies demanding detailed data on the products and practices of foreign firms.

"It is unfortunately not uncommon for such proprietary knowledge to be leaked to Chinese competitors," according to a new position paper published by the EU Chamber of Commerce 's office in Beijing

Read the full article here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/enterprise-jobs/eu-firms-voice-fears-trade-secret-leakage-china/article-185148#

Survey Uncovers Market Trends, Obstacles in Information Management

Did you know that, very few records managers express high e-discovery confidence? According to a survey conducted by Forrester Research (Nasdaq: FORR) in conjunction with ARMA International barely 20 percent of records management decision makers report they are "very confident" that, if challenged, their organization could demonstrate their electronically stored information (ESI) is accurate, accessible, and trustworthy.

This information and much more is available in the September 2009 Forrester Research report, ''Records Management: User Expectations, Market Trends, And Obstacles.

For more information on the survey and for information on obtaining a copy of the report view the press release available on PR Web today HERE.

BNP Ex-Security Chief Fined For Leaking Members List

A former senior official in the British National Party was fined £200 yesterday and castigated by a district judge after he admitted leaking the far-right party's membership list online.
Matt Single, 37, the BNP's former security chief, was behind the disclosure of the names and addresses of 12,000 people, including a police officer who was consequently sacked. Single had been charged under the Data Protection Act.

Continue reading here: http://www.securityoracle.com/news/detail.html?id=15839

European Commission to Investigate Google Book Deal

A European Commission hearing on 7 September will investigate whether a US legal settlement concerning Google breaches EU copyright law, the European Voice reports.

The settlement, which is still being studied by the US courts and justice department, would allow Google to use in-copyright material scanned in libraries in its Book Search service, which allows people to read extracts, and in some cases the full text, of digitised books. An agreement was reached last year between Google, the US Authors' Guild and the Association of American Publishers.

It covers out-of-print books which are either in- copyright or have uncertain copyright status, and works whose copyright holder cannot be found (known as orphan books). Such books account for around 75% of an average library's collection. Books by European authors are included in the settlement's remit.

Read the entire article here: http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/google's-books-deal-under-scrutiny/65779.aspx?lg=1

The settlement is opposed by a coalition of companies (including Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo), as well as some authors and publishers, who argue that it would give Google an unhealthy dominance over other digital library services.

The opponents announced last week that they had formed a lobby group, the Open Book Alliance (OBA), to campaign against the deal. According to an OBA statement, “a digital library controlled by a single company and a small group of colluding publishers would inevitably lead to higher prices and sub-par service for consumers, libraries, scholars and students”.

EU digital library scheme plodding along, complains EU Commissioner

EUObeserver roports that Europe's construction of a 21st Century digital Library of Alexandria is plodding along in a rather too unhurried fashion, according to Brussels' information society commissioner Viviane Reding, responsible for all things electronic and virtual.

With just 4.6 million books, maps, artworks and newspapers from Europe's assembly of national libraries, museums, and archives digitised for access on Europeana, the EU's multilingual digital library launched last November, the project is less than half the way to its early goal of building a collection of 10 million items by 2010 - just four months away.

Continue reading here: http://euobserver.com/9/28599/?rk=1