Eleven states to move on single EU patent

EUobserver.com reports that France, Germany, the UK and eight other countries will go ahead and implement a single EU patent aimed at lowering costs across the bloc to protect inventions, after talks with Italy and Spain over translation rights foundered.
Hailing it as "the cherry on top of the Belgian EU presidency cake," Vincent Van Quickenborne, Belgian acting minister for entrepreneurship and simplification said the move was "an important step for EU integration."

Not integrated in the deal, however, are Spain and Italy, who pressed to have their own languages recognised as well, not just English, French and German as the current decision entails.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31479/?rk=1

Turkey to sue US diplomats over Wikileaks claims

Euractiv.com repoprts that contrary to other European leaders who downplayed the importance of sometimes unflattering reports about them in the US diplomatic cables revealed by Wikileaks, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was working on legal action against claims that he owned eight secret Swiss bank accounts.

Read the full article here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/pa/turkey-sue-us-diplomats-over-wikileaks-claims-news-500211

EU scraps bank secrecy to catch cross-border tax evaders

EUobserver.com reports that EU finance ministers on Tuesday (7 December) agreed to remove bank secrecy as a reason for blocking cross-border tax fraud investigations, in a bid to find fresh resources for cash-strapped state coffers.


"Tax evaders can no longer exploit bank secrecy as an excuse," EU taxation commissioner Algirdas Semeta said after the meeting.

Targeted is all "income from employment, directors' fees, dividends, capital gains, royalties, certain life insurance products, pensions, and ownership of and income from immovable property." The new rules will apply from 1 January next year, but they will not be retroactive.


Read the full article here: http://euobserver.com/9/31455/?rk=1

ARMA Europe - member update

Dear ARMA Europe member,


Following on from our recent survey to which many of you replied I’d like to share with you the latest thinking about how we can develop the region and provide you all with resources that are relevant to you. Below is a list of initiatives we plan to move forward with in 2011, these can only happen if members volunteer to help run them and provide input.

Website launch; we have now established a website with the support of ARMA HQ, to make this a worthwhile resource we need to develop a content strategy and reach out to members to provide value to the site. I am keen to make this site the flagship for the region, make it relevant to our members and distinct from the main ARMA site. There are many good examples of chapter sites available via the main site. Please take a look at these, provide feedback to me and get involved in providing content.

Events; we have the opportunity to provide members with both ARMA (Europe) led and co-hosted events in 2011, currently we are focusing on three probable events (Spring, Summer, Autumn) locations to be confirmed. We have also been approached by other organisations (e.g. vendors) looking to run smaller local activities. Again, none of these things can really happen without your input and support. As plans develop we will be looking for volunteers to assist. If you are able to suggest/provide venues for small meetings we can facilitate getting members to participate and contact vendors on your behalf to support/sponsor such events. We will also continue to negotiate on your behalf to provide member discounts to other European events – if you are aware of any up and coming events you would like us to look at please let me know.

Membership for the region continues to grow; however, we would like to do more in increasing our numbers. Both the website and the planned events programme will go someway to provide a shop front for ARMA Europe, combined with direct marketing and approaches to other associations and interest groups across the region we hope to expand over the next 12 months. Reliance on our members to make ARMA the first choice professional association for our colleagues depends on you getting involved.

To assist us in the run up to elections in the middle of 2011 where we plan to expand the regions committee I would like to reach out to all of you and ask for volunteers in a holding capacity for the following committee roles:

- Communications & Website;
- Events;
- Membership.

Please let me know if you are willing to take on any of these important roles. I would like to have a meeting early in the New Year so that we can move forward with these initiatives.

Finally, following on from my recent visit to the DLM meeting in Brussels last week; ARMA Europe and the DLM continue to work closely together and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for asking me to speak at the meeting. The MoReq 2010 initiative continues to move forward. Here is the final Press Announcement of the Launch of the MoReq 2010 Electronic Records Management, I have asked ARMA HQ to publish this release on the website and in the magazine but wish to share it with you here.

The MoReq2010 Launch marks a milestone in Cross Sector, Flexible Records Management. DLM are developing a Presentation and Workshop pack for MoReq 2010 and there are planned events in Norway, Finland, Stockholm, UK. Also a MoReq 2010 Testing Board is being set up; six companies across Europe so far have registered interest in becoming Test Centres.

ARMA and DLM have recently published a webinar about Moreq 2010; this is available free on the main ARMA website for a limited time. The latest draft of the core requirements is also available online via the DLM website.

Regards,

Gavin

Gavin Siggers
Region Director ARMA Europe

European Commission's collected decisions and implementing rules on records management

The English language version of all current decisions and implementing rules, as result of the thorough recast in 2009-2010 is now available, providing a coherent and up-to-date foundation for the records and archives management within the European Commission.

EU to press for 'right to be forgotten' online

EUObserver writes that the EU is in the process of revamping its data privacy rules dating back to 1995 so as to encompass social networks, online data aggregators and the way prosecutors and policemen across the bloc handle personal records.

The Facebook generation knows it. Everything you've posted online can and will be used against you at some point. People have been fired for the party pictures or unthoughtful jokes they've posted online.


Deleting a Facebook account does not help. According to the popular website, users can "reactivate" their accounts at any time: Facebook does not erase your data, its simply hides it from others.


In a bid to stem these developments, the commission is now revising a 15-year-old "Data Protection Directive," drafted before the Google and Facebook booms. New legislative proposals are set to be put forward mid-2011, but the commission has already adopted a "strategy" on how to go about the changes.

One of the principles mentioned is the "right to be forgotten" online, meaning that people who want their online profiles deleted "should be able to rely on the service provider to remove personal data, such as photos, completely

Seen from the American perspective, businesses find it difficult to navigate between the EU laws and the patchwork of national data protection requirements, one US official familiar with this dossier told EUobserver.
"The lack of harmonisation among the member states in terms of interpreting the directive and transposing the directive into national laws led to uncertainty among compliance officers, privacy officers, and legal counsel. These ambiguities result in confusion and a lack of clarity with regard to obligations the business community must meet," said the official, who requested not to be named.

Read the full article here: http://euobserver.com/9/31200/?rk=1

Free Moreq2010 webinar

Doe not miss the new webinar on the ARMA website: Developing MoReq2010 – an ERMS Specification for Diverse Industries and Applications, Viewable through December 3, 2010


Click here

UK Privacy body to re-examine Google

The BBC reports that Britain's privacy watchdog is to look again at what personal information internet giant Google gathered from private wi-fi networks.


The Information Commissioner's Office had investigated a sample earlier this year after it was revealed that Google had collected personal data during its Street View project.

At the time, it said no "significant" personal details were collected.

But Google has since admitted that e-mails and passwords were copied.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11614970

Commission guilty of 'maladministration' over car company letters

EUobserver reports that the European Commission has been found guilty of ‘maladministration' by the EU ombudsman for a second time for having refused to release correspondence between itself and European car manufacturers.
"By failing to grant full access to the parts of the ‘briefings' relating to carbon dioxide emissions from cars, the commission committed an instance of maladministration," the ombudsman, Nikiforos Diamandouros, said in a 15-page assessment of the EU executive's stonewalling over the issue.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31002/?rk=1

EU takes Britain to court over online data protection

Accordint to EUobserver.com, the European Commission on Thursday (30 September) said it is to take the United Kingdom to court for not fully implementing data privacy rules for online users and allowing service providers to use "behavioural advertising" based on the websites visited by web surfers.

The legal case follows complaints from UK internet users who claim to have been spammed with ads as a result of so-called deep-packet inspections revealing the patterns of their daily online activities. Despite requests made last year by the commission, London has so far failed to amend its legislation so that it complies with EU law.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/30935/?rk=1

Insurance policies should not be based on sex, EU jurist says

EUobserver.com writes that insurers should no longer take a person's sex into account when calculating policies, an advisor to the European Court of Justice said on Thursday (30 September), provoking anger in the industry, which adjusts life and health contracts according to whether they are for men or for women.
The preliminary opinion, by Advocate General Juliane Kokott, said that statistics showing different risks for the two sexes may not be used as a basis for treating men and women differently because they do not show an innate difference between them.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/30941/?rk=1

EU passes 'historic' agreement on bank supervision

Euractiv.com reports that European policymakers yesterday (22 September) reached the end of a long road to overhaul the supervision of the EU's banking sector, as MEPs gave their overwhelming backing to the creation of new financial watchdogs.



Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/financial-services/eu-passes-historic-agreement-bank-supervision-news-498050?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=5647a2c9aa-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

Court rejects journalists’ calls for full EU transparency

Euractiv.com reports that the European Commission can restrict public access to the documents it files in lawsuits until after cases are decided, the European Court of Justice ruled yesterday (21 September), rejecting a request by a leading journalists' trade union based in Brussels.


The Commission can "refuse an application for access to documents, without being under an obligation to undertake a specific examination," the judges ruled.

But once a judgement has been issued, the Commission can no longer withhold documents from the public eye, the Court said.
The case relates to requests from journalists for access to European Commission documents regarding sensitive cases, including the EU’s ‘Open Skies’ package of legislation, which were first tabled by the Association de la Presse Internationale (API) – a group representing Belgium-based foreign reporters - in 2003.

Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/pa/court-rejects-journalists-calls-full-eu-transparency-news-497992?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=eb7e459cc7-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

Reding ditches plans for US-style consumer lawsuits

According to euractiv.com, consumer groups have expressed dismay following Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding's announcement that plans for an EU "collective redress" system are now off the agenda. In an interview with FT Deutschland, Reding acknowledged that she has now effectively stopped the plans, although the proposal had been in the pipeline for a long time.

In her words, the decision was taken to ensure that Europe's economic recovery is not jeopardised by unnecessary burdens for businesses. The plan was designed to ensure that consumers harmed by illegal commercial malpractice are compensated for their losses, but was staunchly opposed by business organisations.

Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/food/reding-ditches-plans-us-style-consumer-lawsuits-news-497997?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=eb7e459cc7-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

EU to tighten privacy rules on air passenger data

Euobserver.com writes that the EU commission wants to strengthen privacy rules for the sharing of personal data of air travellers to the US, Australia and Canada and to limit the use of the data strictly to fighting terrorism and serious organised crime.


"We need to have coherence between the usefullness of collecting this data in the fight against terrorism and organised crime, but carriers and passengers need legal clarity and high levels of data protection," home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said Tuesday (21 September) during a press conference in Strasbourg.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/30862/?rk=1

Belgian EU presidency in push for EU prosecutor's office

According to euobsrver.com, the Belgian EU presidency is stepping up plans to establish an EU-wide public prosecutor in charge of protecting the bloc's financial interests and unifying procedures for gathering criminal evidence, despite reluctance from some member states, notably the UK.

"Our wish is to improve judicial co-operation and co-ordination of criminal investigations within the EU. For that, we need better instruments," Belgian justice minister Stefaan De Clerck said Tuesday (21 September). He was speaking at a seminar co-organised with Eurojust, the EU agency tasked with helping prosecutors and judges deal with cross-border cases and EU arrest warrants.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/30855/?rk=1

EU sued over lack of transparency

EUObserver.com writes that a group of environmental lawyers are suing the EU over alleged attempts to restrict access to information and a lack of transparency in the bloc's biofuels policy.


On Monday (20 September) ClientEarth filed a lawsuit against the European Commission in the EU's General Court in Luxembourg, charging the executive body with having failed to release "documents containing previously undisclosed information on the negative climate impacts of widespread biofuels use."

The case, taken jointly with Transport and Environment, the European Environmental Bureau and BirdLife International, focuses on a controversial study of biofuel use which the four groups claim was manipulated by the commission.

In a separate case on Monday, ClientEarth also decided to sue the Council of Ministers (the EU institution representing member states) over an alleged failure to release documents.

Read the complete article here: http://euobserver.com/9/30853/?rk=1

Book says Carla Bruni used police files to uncover plot

A biography of France's First Lady, Carla Bruni, claims she used police and secret service files to find out who was spreading rumours about the state of her marriage.


According to the book, France's first lady obtained lists of telephone calls and texts made by those she suspected of plotting against her.

Her husband, President Nicolas Sarkozy, is already fighting claims that his office spied on newspaper Le Monde.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11343002

Czechs halt Google Street View

The BBC reports that authorities in the Czech Republic have stopped Google from collecting images for its Street View mapping service. The Czech Office for Personal Data Protection refused to grant the search engine giant a licence to collect fresh data in the country.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11312390

US told EU to hide ACTA from public

According to euractiv.com, American officials blocked European attempts to publish the latest draft of the global Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) on an EU website after a Washington-based round of negotiations in August.


The European Commission, which has been feeling the heat from lobby groups and the European Parliament for greater transparency in the negotiations, debriefed MEPs on the August negotiations yesterday (1 September).


MEPs have been demanding to see the full negotiating text as they will be asked to give ACTA their consent in a vote later this year.

"If we want to be leaders in the EU on transparency, we really have to put more pressure on our partners to have more transparency," an Austrian Green MEP told EurActiv.

Read the full article here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/us-told-eu-hide-acta-public-news-497373

EU to adopt new Basel rules in 2011

Euractiv.com reports that the European Commission yesterday (13 September) announced plans to adopt new capital rules for banks next year after the Basel Banking Committee agreed to higher capital standards on Sunday (12 September).

The EU's adoption of the Basel rules will take the form of a revision of the directives on capital requirements. This will be the fourth revision of the bloc's Capital Requirements Directive after the European Parliament approved CRD III early this summer.


Banks will have to store up to 7% more capital as a line of defence against future crashes in stock markets. Common equity requirements have been hiked from 2.5% to 4% and banks will also be expected to have capital buffers of 2.5%.


The Basel rules are subject to approval in November by the next G20 group meeting in Seoul.

Read the entire article here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/financial-services/eu-adopt-new-basel-rules-2011-news-497736

Sarkozy government sued for spying on journalists

Euobserver.com writes that French newspaper Le Monde has filed a lawsuit against President Nicolas Sarkozy's office for using the country's counter-intelligence services to hunt down their sources, a claim Mr Sarkozy strongly denied.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/30793

Germans upset by Google Street View

According to EUObserver.com, over 10,000 Germans, including the country's consumer minister, have asked not to be photographed when Google's Street View vehicles pass to photograph their homes in the coming weeks.


Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/30620/?rk=1

EU agency to reveal secret data on drug side-effects

EUObserver reports that the European Medicines Agency has reversed its long-held stance on releasing studies on drug side effects after pressure from the European Ombudsman. The London-based agency, which evaluates drugs in the EU, on Wednesday (11 August) said that it would issue data on anti-acne medication Roaccutane produced by pharma giant Roche in the coming weeks.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/30613/?rk=1

Spies, secrets and smart-phones

The Economist writes that some sort of a deal seems to have been thrashed out over the weekend, according to reports from Saudi Arabia, under which its spooks will be able to snoop to their heart's content on messages sent over BlackBerrys within the kingdom.

Read the full article here: http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2010/08/blackberrys_and_encryption

Italian gag law threatens bloggers with €25,000 fines for ‘incorrect' fact

EUObserver.com reports that Bloggers, podcasters and even anyone who posts updates on social networks such as Facebook all face being slapped with fines of up to €25,000 for publishing incorrect facts, if a bill that journalists' organisations are calling "authoritarian" currently before the Italian parliament is passed.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/30559/?rk=1

EU lists data-sharing policies for first time

The EU and its 27 member states have almost 20 programmes, agencies and agreements governing the exchange of personal, business and telecoms data of EU citizens, a first ever audit has shown. Meanwhile, the commission has admitted that its anti-terrorism policies are often made on an 'ad hoc' basis.
http://euobserver.com/9/30512/?rk=1

Online privacy labels to prevent shoppers 'selling their souls'

EUobserver.com reports that US and EU consumer protection bodies are pushing for a data privacy labelling system which would make it easier for online shoppers to become aware of how their personal data is being used and passed on to other companies.


Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/30478/?rk=1

Brussels in fresh push to end EU patent saga

EUobserver.com reports that in a bid to bring down translation costs for European businesses and help them compete on the world market, the European Commission has suggested EU governments should accept patents in English, French or German.


Reade more here: http://euobserver.com/9/30402/?rk=1

EU Public consultation on the open internet and net neutrality

European Commission DG Information Society and Media has launched a public consultation on key questions arising from the issue of net neutrality. European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, announced in April 2010 her intention to launch this consultation in order to take forward Europe's net neutrality debate. The consultation is part of the Commission's follow-up to its commitment – one of the prerequisites for the successful conclusion of the 2009 EU telecoms reform package – to scrutinise closely the open and neutral nature of the internet and to report on the state of play to the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

The consultation covers such issues as whether internet providers should be allowed to adopt certain traffic management practices, prioritising one kind of internet traffic over another; whether such traffic management practices may create problems and have unfair effects for users; whether the level of competition between different internet service providers and the transparency requirements of the new telecom framework may be sufficient to avoid potential problems by allowing consumers' choice; and whether the EU needs to act further to ensure fairness in the internet market, or whether industry should take the lead. All interested parties – service and content providers, consumers, businesses and researchers – are invited to respond to the consultation by 30 September 2010. The consultation will feed into a Commission report on net neutrality, which should be presented by the end of this year.

Click here for more

EU, US sign SWIFT terror finance deal

Deutsche Welle writes that the European Union and the US on Monday signed a revised agreement on sharing banking data to investigate suspected terrorist financing, moving the long-running negotiations over the deal a step closer to completion.


Under the revised deal, an EU official would be posted in the US treasury in Washington to scrutinize the transfer of the European banking data to investigators.

Information requests are also to be "tailored as narrowly as possible" and will be checked by Europol, the EU's police coordination agency.

The agreement still needs the green light from the European Parliament, which in February rejected an earlier proposal for US access to the so-called SWIFT database - a European consortium which records financial transactions.

Read more here

ARMA International Opens Registration for 55th Annual Conference & Expo

ARMA International has opened registration for its 55th Annual Conference & Expo to be held November 7-10, 2010, at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco, Calif.


“In today’s business environment, records and information management is crucial for business function and helps keep organizations competitive and compliant,” said Marilyn Bier, executive director at ARMA International. “The goal of ARMA 2010 is to put the right resources and vendors at the fingertips of the professional community that is in need of their services.”

The conference will feature more than 80 education programs presented by experts in the legal, IT, and records and information professions, as well as an Expo Hall filled with more than 200 exhibiters that service the records and information management community. Back by popular demand are more educational sessions in the Expo Hall, including the ever-popular Solutions Showcase, featuring compelling education around important industry products and services and Industry Intelligence Sessions, where attendees can find answers to the most difficult technology questions.

“If you want solutions to the challenges the records and information management profession faces today, this conference is a must,” said Bier. “You will be able to see the industry’s emerging technologies and understand how to apply them to your business strategies.”

The ARMA International Conference & Expo is the premier educational event for the records and information industry. This year at ARMA 2010 more than 4,000 information management professionals from around the world will come together for unparalleled education, networking, and to discover top of the line products.

This year’s conference features:
· Industry-focused discussion sessions
· Hands-on workshops
· Additional sessions on Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles®
· SharePoint and e-discovery pre-conference sessions
· IT, legal, and RIM focused education
· Timely answers to your most pressing questions

For more information about ARMA International’s 55th Annual Conference & Expo and to register, visit www.arma.org/conference!

Iceland creates data haven as WikiLeaks comes under fire

neurope.eu writes that one effect of the Icelandic banking crisis has been to persuade Icelandic lawmakers to vote for a "new media haven" in Iceland, with the world's strongest press and whistle-blower protection laws, and a "Nobel" prize for Freedom of Expression. The Althing, which is often described as the world's oldest parliament, founded in 930, voted unanimously in favour of the legislation with only one member abstaining. One of the inspirations for the proposal was the dramatic August 2009 gagging of of Iceland's national broadcaster, RUV by Iceland's then largest bank, Kaupthing. The broadcaster had received leaked documents showing the precarious position and unusual practices at the Reykjavik based bank.

Read the article here

ARMA Europe - member update

Dear ARMA colleagues,

As it has been a while since I wrote to you I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on a couple of exciting developments.

Sister agreement with Greater Washington DC Chapter
Today, we have signed an agreement with the Greater Washington DC Chapter of ARMA International (GWDC Chapter), establishing a Sister Chapter relationship with the aim to engage in mutually beneficial activities and to promote the exchange of ideas and friendship. This highly significant agreement connects the two regulatory capitals of the world: Washington DC, the home of the GWDC Chapter and ARMA Europe, with it’s secretariat in Brussels. In addition, it will allow our young organisation to benefit from the vast experience of the GWDC chapter. You can visit the GWDC chapter website here: http://www.armamar.org/GWDC/ . As DC will be the host of next year’s annual conference there will also be many opportunities for our members to get involved.

ARMA Europe joins DLM Forum

I am also happy to announce that ARMA Europe has joined the DLM Forum as a member. First established in 1996 by an initiative of the European Commission the DLM Forum is Europe’s foremost group in the field of archives, document, records and information lifecycle management. Members of the DLM Forum include national archives and many other government bodies and agencies; industry associations and regulators; private corporations, consultants and industry experts; academic and research institutions; suppliers, consumers and compliance bodies.

In 2010 the DLM Forum incorporated to become a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to furthering the aims and supporting the activities of a broad and expanding community drawn from many different disciplines, countries and sectors. The DLM Forum is the group behind Moreq. Please contact me directly if you would like to get involved in the activities of the DLM Forum on behalf of ARMA Europe. For more on the DLM forum, visit http://www.dlmforum.eu/ .


I attended the DLM Forum meeting in Madrid in May; the main topic for the meeting was moving forward with Moreq 2010 as well as much discussion on standards including the work of ICA and ISO. The DLM Forum meets twice a year (next meeting in Brussels in Autumn 2010) with a conference held every three years. I would strongly urge you to try to attend, the DLM serves as a thought leadership organisation on topics directly relevant to all of us. We are working closely with the DLM to get a webinar update on Moreq 2010 for our members ahead of the public consultation phase scheduled to start in a few weeks. For more information see http://moreq2.eu/component/content/article/31-faq/171-what-is-moreq2010 .


ARMA Europe Website
We are hoping to launch the ARMA Europe website very soon. This website will be hosted on www.arma.org. We would like to understand what you'd like to see on it - it is after all your resource so the content should reflect your needs as records professionals in Europe. There are already many chapter and region sites out there - you can get to these through http://www.arma.org/about/chapters/chapters.aspx. Take a look around and let us know what you would like on your site. Either post suggestions back on the ARMA Europe LinkedIn group (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=893797) so we can all discuss or send direct to me (gavin.siggers@healdan.co.uk).

We will also need some help in running the site - feel free to volunteer.


Membership recruitment

We are always looking for new members and would like to ask for your help to help ARMA Europe grow. We know that if you are satisfied with your membership in ARMA International, you will encourage other Records and Information Management professionals to join (after all, it is one of the best professional decisions they can make for their careers).

Recruiting a new member is easy when you find yourself interacting with colleagues or clients at meetings, online, on the job, or while networking. Simply tell them how you have benefited from your ARMA membership and suggest that they visit http://www.arma.org/join/benefits.cfm to learn more about membership and to join. Membership of ARMA only costs USD 175 and membership of ARMA Europe is free for now.

Other events

Following the successful co-operation between ARMA Europe and IQPC in arranging member discounts to their events we have now established a similar relationship with Informa for the Records Management Compliance event for Financial Services:

As a unique benefit related to your membership of ARMA Europe, we are happy to announce that you are entitled to a 15% discount on Record Management Compliance held in London on 15 July.

In just one day, find out how to leverage reporting, training & competence and risk management to raise the positive profile of records management:

Examine the latest developments in:
• FSA Expectations and Intentions
• Key Regulatory and Legal Document Risks
• Taping and Recording Mobile Phone Calls

Benchmark your approach to:
• Defining a Retention / Destruction policy
• Structuring and embedding a Comprehensive Control Framework
• Effectively Communicating the Records Management Message
• The Importance of Networks in records management

Gain practical insights into:
• Legal Requirements Across Key Jurisdictions
• Selective E-mail Risk Management and Compliance
• Challenges of Electronic Document Regulatory Compliance

To view the latest agenda or register please visit:
http://www.informaglobalevents.com/RecordsManagementAR

Please use the discount code KM6491AREM

We would really like to hear about other events that are relevant to you where you feel that we could perhaps leverage our membership power in negotiating savings.

Remember as a region, the more members we have the powerful the incentive is for organizations like IQPC and Informa to extend favourable member discounts to us.

Kind Regards

Gavin

Gavin Siggers

Director, ARMA Europe
(M) +44 7833 558075
(O) +44 1730 265 455
skype: gsiggers
mailto:gavin.siggers@healdan.co.uk

MEPs threaten second veto on EU-US bank data deal

Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals in the European Parliament on Tuesday expressed their dissatisfaction at the newly negotiated EU-US bank data transfer deal for anti-terrorism purposes, threatening to veto it again after having rejected an earlier version in February.

http://euobserver.com/9/30294/?rk=1

EU and US seal agreement on bank data transfers

EUobserver.com writes that the EU commission has finalised a draft agreement on transferring European banking data to the US as part of anti-terrorist investigations. The deal still needs approval of member states and the European Parliament.

Read more here

Kroes presses ahead with open IT standards

Euractiv.com reports that dominant players in Europe's IT industry will face an EU drive for open standards, starting with services in the public sector, Neelie Kroes, the EU's commissioner for the Digital Agenda, told a conference yesterday (10 June).

Kroes is planning to overhaul the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) to make ICT standard-setting more transparent and make sure public administrations use open source formats to prevent a build up of monopolies in the sector.

Read the entire article here

MoReq2010 Public Consultation Announcement

The MoReq2010 work programme was officially launched at the DLM Forum spring meeting in Madrid on 25th and 26th May 2010. Jon Garde of Journal IT, the selected contractor for the MoReq2010 programme, set out his vision for the work programme to be completed this calendar year and discussed future MoReq developments.

Following the announcement in Madrid, the first meeting of the MoReq2010 project team took place in London on 2nd June 2010. The team is made up of DLM members who are leading experts from both the public and private sector. The project manager is Martin Waldron of Weathervane Consult, co-author of the first MoReq project. The meeting included a demonstration of the consultation portal that will be used for the two public consultation phases of MoReq2010, before and after the summer. The consultation portal is web-based, easy to use, and utilises Objective Corporation’s uEngage software. uEngage is a well established vehicle for hosting public consultation and widely used as a public communication and consultation platform in the UK government sector.

The first MoReq2010 consultation period of four weeks, styled the “concept
collaboration stage” of the programme, will begin in two to three weeks time. If you would like notification of the launch date please email the DLM Forum secretariat at secretariat@dlmforum.eu stating “Alert MoReq2010 Public Consultation 1”. You do not need to be a member of the DLM Forum to take part in the public consultation.

DLM Secretariat
Weathervane House
Old Shire Lane
Chorleywood
WD3 5PW
United Kingdom
Martin Waldron
Tel: +44 1923 285505
Mob: +44 7976 359161
eMail: secretariat@dlmforum.eu

Records Management Compliance, 15th July 2010, London

As a unique benefit related to your membership of ARMA Europe, we are happy to announce that you are entitled to a 15% discount on Record Management Compliance held in London on 15 July.

In just one day, find out how to leverage reporting, training & competence and risk management to raise the positive profile of records management:

Examine the latest developments in:
• FSA Expectations and Intentions
• Key Regulatory and Legal Document Risks
• Taping and Recording Mobile Phone Calls

Benchmark your approach to:
• Defining a Retention / Destruction policy
• Structuring and embedding a Comprehensive Control Framework
• Effectively Communicating the Records Management Message
• The Importance of Networks in records management
Gain practical insights into:
• Legal Requirements Across Key Jurisdictions
• Selective E-mail Risk Management and Compliance
• Challenges of Electronic Document Regulatory Compliance

To view the latest agenda or register please visit:
http://www.informaglobalevents.com/RecordsManagementAL
Hear practical case studies from leading experts including;
• BARCLAYS, Louis Pinto, Business Analyst, Information Management GRCB. Louis will be looking at Effectively Communicating the Records Management Message
• RBS GLOBAL BANKING & MARKETS, Caroline Venamore & Janet Inglis will be illustrating the Importance of Networks in Making Records Management Work

Other expert speakers include:
Stephen Mason, Barrister, CHAMBERS OF STEPHEN MASON
Graham Woolley, Financial Services Account Manager, BUSINESS SYSTEMS (UK)
Paul Henshaw, Compliance Director, 2GETHER CONSULTING
Hazel Grant, Partner, BRISTOWS
Jacqui Huston, Director, 2GETHER CONSULTING
Peter Heywood, Development Consultant, STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE AGENTS

To view the latest agenda or register please visit:
http://www.informaglobalevents.com/RecordsManagementBL

Plus, don’t miss out on the highly practical workshop:
Records Management Compliant Environment
16th July 2010

Register by Friday 11 June 2010 and SAVE up to £600!

QUOTE THE VIP CODE KM6491ARBL and claim a 15% discount in addition to the early bird discount!

Email custserv@infoline.org.uk or call us on +44 (0)20 7017 7702, quoting VIP code: KM6491ARBL

Europeans to Have Online Access to Medical Records by 2015

The European Commission has set a goal to give all Europeans "secure, online access to their medical health data by 2015," Government Health IT reported. According to the article, "The European Commission is proposing ambitious, wide-ranging public investments in digital technologies that will allow it to tackle looming challenges, including the support of an aging population and limiting health care costs." The EC is also "proposing that a minimum, common set of patient data be defined that will allow patient records to be accessed or exchanged electronically across all of the EU's 27 member states by 2012."

One potential roadblock to this vision, however, is that over "30% of Europeans have never used the Internet."

Source: www.arma.org

European Region website - coming soon

Yes, you read right....we're hoping to launch the ARMA Europe website very soon. I'd like to understand what you'd like to see on it - it is after all your resource so the content should reflect your needs as records professionals in Europe.
There are already many chapter and region sites out there - you can get to these via the main website. Take a look around and let us know what you'd like on your site...either post suggestions back here so we can all discuss or send direct to me (gavin.siggers@healdan.co.uk).
We'll also need some help in running the site - feel free to volunteer.

Gavin Siggers
Director, ARMA Europe

Austria wants sanctions for data gathering after Google ‘accident'

EUobserver reports that in the wake of an admission by internet search giant Google that it had accidentally collected data from unencrypted wifi networks in people's homes while its fleet of cars were out photographing buildings and roads for its ‘Street View' map service, Austria has said it wants to make such moves punishable.

click here for more

Internet search engines scolded by EU regulators

Euractiv.com reports that EU regulators have reprimanded major search engines Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft's Bing for storing data search queries for too long and by so doing overlooking the bloc's Data Protection Directive. More here

EU countries probe Google data breach

According to Euractiv.com, Google is starting to feel the heat in Europe as several countries launch probes and demand more details about the companies' street-mapping technology, after it emerged that the application had inadvertently collected people's private information.

continue reading here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/eu-countries-probe-google-data-breach-news-494433?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e367f6aa96-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

Brussels rolls out 10-year internet masterplan

Half of Europeans subscribing to ultra-high-speed broadband by 2020, bringing an end to 'digital virgins' and the creation of a European cyber-attack response system - these are just some of the ambitious goals contained in the EU's 10-year plan for the online world.

http://euobserver.com/9/30105/?rk=1

Update - change of venue: Internal and Regulatory Investigations in Oil & Gas

I am pleased to inform you that as an exclusive membership benefit, ARMA Europe members will be entitled to a 10% discount on Internal and Regulatory Investigations in Oil & Gas conference that will take place in London on 22-24 June.

Please find the relevant information below.

Internal and Regulatory Investigations in Oil & Gas

Dates:
22 - 24 June 2010

Venue:
CTT Venues, Canary Warf, London

Critical regulatory updates, anti-corruption compliance policies and information privacy, retention and disclosure strategies to reduce exposure and minimise risk

Internal and Regulatory Investigations in Oil & Gas includes 15 industry case studies that will provide you with the strategies and tools you need to minimise liability, maximise compliance and manage the risk – and expense – associated with conducting or responding to an internal or regulatory investigation.

We're excited to announce our latest speakers:

• Ian Johnson, Company Secretary and Group Head of Legal, John Wood Group PLC
• Manuel Soudant, Senior Counsel, Shell
• Vivian Robinson, General Counsel, Serious Fraud Office

You’ll get the latest updates from the regulators including the Serious Fraud Office (UK), FSA, US Department of Justice and more plus in-house case studies on:

• Identifying how recent enforcements will affect you
• Balancing the cost of compliance with the risk of exposure
• Designing an anti-corruption program that addresses your company’s greatest risks
• Building an airtight international compliance programme
• Managing sanctions and risk in eDisclosure and information retention
• Developing strategies to manage multi-jurisdictional and joint investigations

For more information or to register:
Tel: +44 207 368 9300
Email: enquire@iqpc.co.uk
Visit: http://www.oilandgasinvestigations.com/Event.aspx?id=284202&utm_campaign=ARMA&utm_medium=online&utm_source=WebListing&MAC=18722.001_ARMA_WEB

Call for Volunteers: GARP® Steering Task Force

ARMA International's task force structure is built to give you the opportunity to volunteer for targeted, specific opportunities to help the association, the profession, and your own development in a time-sensitive manner. Thank you for considering this volunteer opportunity!

The ARMA Board of Directors has chartered the GARP® Steering Task Force in February 2010, to guide the development of new products and services relative to GARP® Principles and the GARP® Maturity Model. The task force leader is specifically seeking individuals with business development and strategic planning expertise, who can provide oversight and input to the development of new products and services. The GARP® Steering Task Force is expected to charter sub-task forces to accomplish specific pieces of work. However, the members now being sought will provide strategic direction to the overall initiative, within the Board-approved parameters.

Task force members will be asked to serve for one (1) year, with the potential for being re-appointed for a second year if their particular skill sets are still needed. The work of the task force will be conducted almost exclusively by conference call, email, and use of collaborative web sites. There may be a meeting at the San Francisco conference, for those already in attendance.
The task force is seeking three (3) individuals with expertise in the following areas:

• Business development and rollout of new products/services
• Strategic planning and forecasting
• International base and/or perspective

If you are interested in being considered for this task force, please submit your resume and a short (150-200 words) description of why you would like serve on this task force.
Submission deadline: March 15, 2010
Interested candidates should contact:
Diane Carlisle, CRM Director, Professional Resources
Send E-mail

Google bosses convicted in Italy

The BBC reports that an Italian court has convicted three Google executives in a trial over a video showing a teenager with Down's Syndrome being bullied.

The Google employees were accused of breaking Italian law by allowing the video to be posted online.

Judge Oscar Magi absolved the three of defamation but convicted them of privacy violations.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8533695.stm

Internet Companies Voice Alarm over Italian Law

Internet companies and civil liberty activists are concerned about a proposed new Italian law that “would make online service providers responsible for their audiovisual content and copyright infringements by users, an article from the Reuters wire stated. The EU Commission might "open an investigation into the decree for infringing EU norms" if the law is passed. The draft legislation has also raised concerns from Italian groups dedicated to freedom of speech.
Further, the new decree could postpone the development of the web even further in a country that already significantly lags behind other Western European nations in terms of Internet usage. As an example, "Only around 10% of Italians buy online compared with around 55% of Britons and Germans," the articles stated.

from the ARMA International International Policy Brief, February 2010
Full International Policy Brief

British Police Officer Accused of Using Records Management System to Stalk Women

ARMA's Information Overload Blog writes that PC Robert Campbell allegedly conducted unauthorized searches of Hampshire Constabulary's electronic Records Management System to try to forge relationships with three women between July 2006 and April 2009,” British newspaper The News reported. Supposedly, Campbell, a 42-year-old from Portsmouth, also used the Records Management System to find information to single parent, who had previously been a victim of domestic violence. Campbell, who is still serving as a police officer, denied the four counts of misconduct in a public office brought against him.

Visit Information Overload here

Yes to SWIFT unlikely as vote in limbo

Euractiv.com reports today that a debate in the European Parliament last night cast a cloud of uncertainty over a vote scheduled today (11 February) on an agreement between the EU and the US on the transfer of citizens' financial data to prevent terrorist attacks.

MEPs close to the negotiations told EurActiv that after a tense debate with the European Council and the European Commission, the Council began trying to hash out a compromise in the small hours of 10 February to satisfy MEPs' concerns on bulk data transfers and legal redress.

On Wednesday, the Council also issued a statement saying it would try to meet MEPs' concerns ahead of today's plenary vote.

Read more here

Microsoft woos EU privacy watchdogs

Euractiv.com reports that Microsoft's Bing search engine will retain private Internet search data for a maximum period of six months, the ICT giant announced yesterday (19 January) as EU antitrust regulators started to scrutinise the company's alliance with Yahoo.

Microsoft offered to reduce from 18 to six months the period it retains the IP addresses of Internet users making queries through its Bing search engine, the company said. The change will be implemented over the next 12 to 18 months, it added.

Read the article here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/microsoft-woos-eu-privacy-watchdogs/article-189063

EU Parliament threatens to derail EU-US bank data deal

EUObserver.com reports that the European Parliament is threatening to derail an interim agreement allowing US authorities to track European bank transactions in terrorism investigations unless certain concessions are made.

The president of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek at the end of last week sent a second letter to the Spanish EU presidency asking for more information on the so-called Swift agreement.

A plenary debate on the matter is scheduled for Wednesday in Strasbourg, during which the Spanish presidency is expected to give more answers on the technicalities of the deal.
The agreement would allow US prosecutors and investigators to tap into intra-European bank transactions as part of anti-terrorist enquiries - something EU lawmakers say raises privacy concerns.

Read the article here: http://euobserver.com/9/29284/?rk=1

Brussels pledges antitrust overhaul

Euractiv.com reports that the EU executive is promising to make its complex antitrust procedures more transparent in a move designed to make competition cases more predictable for businesses.

The European Commission's competition arm has published a series of documents detailing how antitrust decisions are reached and pledging to help companies engage with the process.

The EU has sweeping antitrust powers and has conducted major inquiries into corporate giants including Intel, Microsoft and a host of energy firms. It has also launched high-profile investigations into competition in the pharmaceutical sector and has the power to block mergers and acquisitions.

Companies under investigation often find the process to be complex and opaque, something the Commission is keen to address.

Read the article here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/enterprise-jobs/brussels-pledges-antitrust-overhaul/article-188641

New ENISA publications available

In implementing its annual Work Programme, ENISA in December 2009 published a number of studies, reports, and a survey covering issues of resilience of communication networks, anti-spam measures by providers, and CERT/CSIRT material.

*Resilience: Tracking standardisation activities in NIS* ENISA published a study on "Gaps in standardisation related to resilience of communication networks". The study provides five recommendations for future standardisation activities. It can be downloaded from the ENISA website at: http://www.enisa.europa.eu/act/it/library/deliverables/gapsstd

*Third ENISA Survey on anti-spam measures implemented by European providers* The survey aims to determine how e-mail service providers are combating spam on their networks. It helps identifying the state of the fight against spam and helps service providers to learn from their peers throughout Europe. The survey report is available from the ENISA website at: http://www.enisa.europa.eu/act/res/other-areas/anti-spam-measures

*New CERT material*ENISA launched new Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT or CSIRT) material including a field report on two CSIRT exercise pilots, a draft baseline capabilities definition for national/governmental CERTs, and three DVD images to support the exercise material.
The field report on the exercise pilots which is a hands-on report on logistics, preparation and experiences during the event can be obtained from the ENISA website at: http://www.enisa.europa.eu/act/cert/support/exercise
The draft document defines baseline capabilities for CERTs with national responsibility in the areas of service provision, mandate, cooperation and operation. This document which is a snapshot of an ongoing activity to enhance cross-border cooperation of national/governmental CERTs can be obtained from http://www.enisa.europa.eu/act/cert/support/baseline-capabilities
Three DVD images for teachers and students aim at enabling an easy application of the CSIRT exercise material. The material which is not only useful for CERTs but can also be applied in any kind of training for security professionals is available at http://www.enisa.europa.eu/act/cert/support/exercise