ARMA Europe Blog

ARMA International Announces Conference and Education Opportunities

2011-07-04T11:49:00.000+02:00

NOW OPEN - Registration for 56th Annual Conference and Expo

ARMA International, the authority on records and information management, has opened registration for its 56th Annual Conference & Expo to be held October 17-19, 2011, at the Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center, just minutes outside of Washington, D.C.

“In today’s business environment, information governance is crucial for business function and helps keep organizations competitive and compliant,” said Marilyn Bier, executive director at ARMA International. “ARMA 2011 puts 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, information tedchnology (IT), and information management professions, as well as an Expo Hall boasting more than 200 top-tier exhibitors showcasing the latest offerings from technology to data retention and storage.

“Conference attendees will be able to see the industry’s emerging technologies and understand how to implement them into their day-to-day business strategies,” said Bier. “Our primary goal is to answer the questions and pain points of today’s professional that touches information management and provide them with solutions and best practices to strategically address all of their organization’s information governance needs.”

The ARMA International conference & expo is the premier educational event for the records and information industry. This year at ARMA 2011 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.

Recommended Attendees

Records managers
Records analysts
IT managers
IT developers
Industry consultants
Archivists
Attorneys
Legal assistants
In-house counsel
Chief information officers

Industries Represented:

Legal
Government
Health care
Financial services
Manufacturing
Contracting
Energy
Utilities
Education
Consulting
Insurance

For more information about ARMA International’s 56th Annual Conference & Expo and to register, visit www.arma.org/conference!

About the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center

The Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center is the site of ARMA International’s 56th Annual Conference & Expo. Located on the Potomac in Maryland just minutes outside of Washington, D.C., Gaylord National is the perfect place to enjoy the region's rich cultural and business appeal. Scenically located in the National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Gaylord National offers guests convenient shuttle service to Washington, D.C., and Ronald Reagan National Airport, and water taxi to various locations, including Old Town Alexandria.

National Harbor is a community unlike any other in the D.C. region, designed to take full advantage of the most historic river in the nation. Rising from the banks of the Potomac River just south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, National Harbor is a 300-acre, mixed-used development with tree-lined promenades and scores of shops, restaurants, a marina, and much more.

Press

Press passes are available for editors, writers, bloggers, and other interested media in the information management industry. For a pass, e-mail K.C. O’Rourke at kc.orourke@armaintl.org with your credentials.

About ARMA International

ARMA International (www.arma.org) is a not-for-profit professional association and the authority on information management and governance. Formed in 1955, ARMA International is the oldest and largest association for the records and information management profession with a current international membership of more than 10,000. It provides education, publications, and information on the efficient maintenance, retrieval, and preservation of vital information created in public and private organizations in all sectors of the economy. It also publishes the award-winning Information Management magazine.

Commission faces battle on data retention

2011-04-28T17:54:00.000+02:00

Euractiv.com writes that MEPs are gearing up for a fight with the European Commission on a review of rules allowing countries to store telecommunications data for anti-terror investigations, as they urge the EU executive to substantially reduce the scope of the law.

After the terror attacks in London and Madrid, the EU rushed through new legislation on retaining telecommunications data to help track suspected terrorists' movements. But the Data Retention Directive continues to anger many lawmakers, who argue they have no proof the law is necessary.

Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/commission-faces-battle-data-retention-news-504187?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=74515e95a1-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

PlayStation data theft hits 70m gamers

2011-04-27T10:43:00.002+02:00

BBC News reports that Sony has warned users of its PlayStation Network that their personal information, including credit card details, may have been stolen.

The company said that the data might have fallen into the hands of an "unauthorised person" following a hacking attack on its online service.

Access to the network was suspended last Wednesday, but Sony has only now revealed details of what happened.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13192359

Parmalat fraud case ends with four banks acquitted

2011-04-18T23:04:00.002+02:00

BBC News reports that four banks have been acquitted by a court in Milan over accusations they did not take adequate steps to prevent Parmalat from committing fraud.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13115771

Microsoft takes Google complaint to EU

2011-03-31T12:50:00.002+02:00

BBC News writes that Microsoft is to take an anti-competion complaint against Google to the European Commission. The software maker claims that Google used its dominant position in the search market to restrict the growth of Microsoft services.

It cites a number of practices, including Google limiting the ability of Microsoft Bing to index web content. Google said it was not surprised by the move and would happily explain itself.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12918059

EU patent office, Google seal pact on translation

2011-03-28T11:30:00.002+02:00

Euractiv.com reports that the European Patent Office (EPO) and American Internet giant Google signed yesterday (24 March) an agreement to collaborate on machine translation of patents into 32 European, Slavic and Asian languages.

Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/innovation/eu-patent-office-google-seal-pact-translation-news-503495?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=67231e0a22-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

Governments 'not ready' for new European cookie law

2011-03-09T09:59:00.000+01:00

BBC News writes that European rules aimed at giving consumers more control over how their web browsing is tracked will not be enforced come May, experts have said. No European government has yet drawn up the guidelines for how the ePrivacy directive will be enforced.

It states that websites must seek consent from users before using tracking technologies. Privacy campaigners say the solutions being put forward are "not fit for purpose".

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12677534

EU police report shows holes in US data deal

2011-03-09T09:50:00.002+01:00

EUobserver writes that US demands for EU banking data under the so-called Swift agreement are "too general and abstract" for Europol to allow a proper evaluation of the necessity of those transfers, an inspection report carried out by the police agency's own supervisory body reveals.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31947/?rk=1

MEPs vote for "naked" short-selling restrictions

2011-03-08T13:23:00.000+01:00

BBC News reports that MEPs have voted in favour of restricting the practice of "naked" short selling.

Short-sellers usually borrow shares or bonds, sell them, then buy them back when the stock falls - pocketing the difference.

"Naked" short-selling is when a trader sells financial instruments he has not yet borrowed.

A new directive places conditions on the use of credit defaults swaps (CDS) - a form of government debt insurance.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12670943

EU court rules in favour of 'unisex' insurance

2011-03-08T09:51:00.000+01:00

According to euractiv.com, starting from 2012, insurance companies will no longer be able to charge different premiums for men and women, after the European Court of Justice ruled against using gender-based criteria to set prices.

"Taking into account the sex of the insured as a risk factor in insurance contracts is discriminatory," the court said in a statement.

The court was ruling on a case submitted by Belgian consumer group Test-Achats, which argued that current exemptions for women contradicted EU legislation on anti-discrimination and gender equality.

Insurance companies lamented the court's decision, which is due to enter into force on 21 December 2012.

Read more here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/socialeurope/eu-court-rules-favour-unisex-insurance-news-502658?utm_source=EurActiv+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ce2ab707c9-my_google_analytics_key&utm_medium=email

New EU rules demand explicit consent for use of cookies

2011-03-08T09:47:00.000+01:00

BBC News reports that from 25 May, European laws dictate that "explicit consent" must be gathered from web users who are being tracked via text files called "cookies". These files are widely used to help users navigate faster around sites they visit regularly. Businesses are being urged to sort out how they get consent so they can keep on using cookies.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12668552

EU to collect data of international air travellers

2011-02-03T10:55:00.000+01:00

According to EUObserver.com, air travellers going in and out of the EU may soon have to give their personal details to national authorities in the member state of departure or arrival, if proposals set to be put forward by the EU commission on Wednesday are approved by governments and the European Parliament.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31731

Transparency NGOs call on EU not to restrict document access

2011-02-03T10:36:00.000+01:00

EUObserver.com reports that the EU is set to tightly restrict its freedom-of-information rules just seven years after they were introduced, says an alliance of some 180 human rights organisations, transparency pressure groups and journalist unions, which have called on the European Parliament to apply the breaks to proposed legislation.

On the weekend a public letter signed by 56 investigative journalists and 131 groups including transparency and access-to-information campaigners and environmental NGOs warned that European Commission proposals that are set to be approved in the coming weeks will "substantially reduce the number of public documents" available upon request.

Under the new rules, originally proposed in 2008 and as of Tuesday (1 February) at committee stage before the parliament, only documents that are formally transmitted would be made available upon request to a member of the public.

Read more here: http://euobserver.com/9/31736

ARMA European Region Briefing - Join us for a complimentary seminar organised by ARMA International and Autonomy in London on 9 February

2011-01-14T16:38:00.001+01:00

Heightened oversight, explosive growth and complexity of information, along with the rapidly growing demands to comply with international laws and regulations are taxing organisations’ abilities to control valuable corporate information. How you manage your organisation’s records and information can have a huge impact on its success.

Join us at this meeting to find out about records management and information governance standards and best-practices, including the latest on GARP, Moreq 2010 and how to handle Web 2.0, from experts including Galina Datskovsky, President Elect at ARMA International, Jon Garde, Author of Moreq 2010 and Gavin Siggers, Director of ARMA’s European Region. There will also be plenty of networking opportunities and we hope you will join us for drinks after the event.

Provisional Agenda

Registration & Coffee
Welcome - Gavin Siggers, Director, ARMA Europe
Generally Accepted Records Management Principles (GARP) - Galina Datskovsky, President Elect, ARMA International
Networking Break
Moreq 2010 – Jon Garde, Author of Moreq 2010
Outsourcing Records and Information to the Cloud - Galina Datskovsky, President Elect, ARMA International
Closing - Gavin Siggers, Director, ARMA Europe
Drinks/refreshments

Please note spaces for this seminar are limited. Register early to avoid disappointment.

To register, please click here

Eleven states to move on single EU patent

2010-12-13T10:40:00.000+01:00

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

2010-12-08T13:46:00.001+01:00

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

2010-12-08T10:55:00.000+01:00

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

2010-11-30T17:20:00.000+01:00

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

2010-11-23T16:03:00.000+01:00

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

2010-11-05T10:16:00.000+01:00

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

2010-11-03T15:24:00.000+01:00

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

2010-10-25T13:18:00.000+02:00

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

2010-10-11T13:08:00.002+02:00

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

2010-10-01T15:20:00.000+02:00

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

2010-10-01T15:18:00.000+02:00

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

2010-09-23T10:41:00.000+02:00

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

2010-09-22T11:31:00.000+02:00

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

2010-09-22T11:26:00.000+02:00

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

2010-09-22T11:13:00.002+02:00

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

2010-09-22T11:02:00.000+02:00

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

2010-09-21T09:59:00.000+02:00

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

2010-09-17T16:03:00.000+02:00

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

2010-09-15T14:48:00.000+02:00

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

2010-09-14T15:31:00.000+02:00

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

2010-09-14T15:28:00.000+02:00

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

2010-09-14T15:13:00.000+02:00

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

2010-08-13T18:05:00.002+02:00

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

2010-08-12T09:45:00.000+02:00

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

2010-08-09T16:54:00.000+02:00

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

2010-08-03T18:42:00.000+02:00

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

2010-07-22T10:22:00.002+02:00

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'

2010-07-14T17:54:00.000+02:00

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

2010-07-02T10:23:00.001+02:00

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

2010-06-30T14:02:00.000+02:00

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

2010-06-29T11:58:00.000+02:00

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

2010-06-24T12:34:00.000+02:00

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

2010-06-17T14:09:00.002+02:00

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

2010-06-16T17:07:00.001+02:00

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

2010-06-16T11:00:00.000+02:00

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

2010-06-15T11:16:00.001+02:00

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

2010-06-14T10:43:00.001+02:00

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

2010-06-10T09:55:00.001+02:00

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

2010-06-09T17:49:00.000+02:00

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

2010-06-02T11:57:00.001+02:00

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

2010-05-28T13:26:00.000+02:00

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'

2010-05-28T10:58:00.001+02:00

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

2010-05-27T10:22:00.001+02:00

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

2010-05-21T14:57:00.000+02:00

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

2010-05-20T10:14:00.000+02:00

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

2010-04-09T18:37:00.006+02:00

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

2010-02-26T13:51:00.000+01:00

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

2010-02-24T13:21:00.001+01:00

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

2010-02-24T11:00:00.000+01:00

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

2010-02-11T09:58:00.001+01:00

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

2010-02-11T09:55:00.001+01:00

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

2010-01-21T10:53:00.000+01:00

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

2010-01-18T10:34:00.001+01:00

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

2010-01-11T09:48:00.002+01:00

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

2010-01-06T10:22:00.001+01:00

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

ENISA A new ENISA Position Paper on "Privacy and Security Risks when Authenticating on the Internet with European eID Cards"

2009-12-02T10:34:00.001+01:00

A new ENISA Position Paper on "Privacy and Security Risks when Authenticating on the Internet with European eID Cards" has been published.

The paper is focusing on authentication risks with European eID Cards. It analyses seven vulnerabilities, identifies 15 threats and gives security recommendations.

Whenever we use internet services, the first steps we take are usually identification (we insert our names) and authentication (we prove that it is us). How we actually identify and authenticate ourselves depends on the security level of the application. The means used can vary from a simple combination of username and password, through a secret PIN, to a PIN generated by some external device or a smart card using cryptography. Smart cards are being used increasingly for authentication purposes. Many European identity cards now contain a smart-card chip, equipped with functionalities for online authentication. They are usually called 'electronic identity cards' (eID cards). The paper focuses on authentication using smart cards and compares this approach with other common means of authentication.

Press release:http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/position-paper-security-risks-online-banking-and-eid-cards

Full report:http://www.enisa.europa.eu/act/it/eid/eid-online-banking

EU/US Bank data transfer deal reached

2009-11-30T18:05:00.001+01:00

EUobserver.com reports today that EU justice ministers approved a provisional bank data transfer deal with the United States, allowing American anti-terrorist investigators to access European financial transaction data for another nine months.

The interim agreement had sparked controversy among European Greens and Liberals, who cited data privacy concerns and slammed member states for "rushing" to get the deal done before the European Parliament acquires more powers in this field. A day later, with the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the legislature would have had a bigger say on the agreement.

Read the entire story here: http://euobserver.com/9/29072/?rk=1

European Commission consultation on e-invoicing

2009-11-30T17:53:00.000+01:00

The European Commission has published today the report of expert group on e-Invoicing. The group was mandated to design a European e-Invoicing framework, to contribute to the uptake of open and interoperable electronic invoicing solutions within the EU. Particular emphasis was put on the needs of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The report, which does not necessarily represent the views of the Commission, will be open for consultation until 26 February 2010.

e-invoicing, short for electronic invoicing, is the electronic transfer of billing and payment information, via the Internet or other electronic means between the parties - businesses, the public sector, consumers - involved in commercial transactions.
Compared to paper invoices, e-Invoices may offer huge advantages for companies - they are said to be easier to process, they reach the customer faster and can be stored centrally at very low cost. A recent report predicts potential annual benefits of up to €40 billion across Europe in the business-to-business field alone

Source and further reading: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/ict/e-invoicing/

20% Discount for ARMA members on PCI Europe on 3 December in Brussels

2009-11-26T19:19:00.002+01:00

The information available at this event will add real value to your business and your department. It will focus on how to maximise the business value of PCI DSS compliance by integrating it into an enterprise-wide risk-based security strategy at a time when they must also keep a careful eye on budgetary constraints.

To view the agenda please click here.

Value in attending:
This year's agenda is designed to overcome issues across the spectrum of data security compliance and risk management. You will take away a great deal of practical information on a number of topics related to PCI DSS compliance and IT Security, including:

Approaching IT and transaction environments to reach security in the most intelligent way
Avoiding pitfalls: the things that can go wrong when implementing PCI DSS and how to avoid them
Matching solution paths to wider business goals in order to ensure security does not mean answering single compliance or business requirements
Understanding issues created by grey areas; avoiding delay to, and increased expense of, compliance programs
Managing technical audits; understanding the depth necessary to reach compliance
Creating wider business value for internal customers and integrating compliance into existing enterprise programmes
Giving PCI DSS business value by making it work for you
For further information, please visit the PCI Portal

Who is the forum designed for:
This forum is specifically designed specifically for those responsible for securing I.T. and transaction environments in the payment card industry, including:
- PCI DSS Project managers
- Risk or Compliance officers
- IT Security professionals
- IT professionals

To book your place please contact Aneta Atanasova or alternatively you can register online.

EU’s cyber security agency, ENISA launches a comprehensive, new report on Cloud Computing

2009-11-23T10:56:00.003+01:00

How can businesses and governments get the obvious benefits of cloud computing without putting their organisation at risk? The EU's cyber security agency, ENISA (the European Network and Information Security Agency) answers this question in a comprehensive, new report on "Cloud Computing: Benefits, risks and recommendations for information security". It covers the technical, policy and legal implications and most importantly, makes concrete recommendations for how to address the risks and maximise the benefits for users.

Get the entire story here: http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/enisa-clears-the-fog-on-cloud-computing-security-1

EU stalls bank data deal with US ahead of Lisbon Treaty

2009-11-13T10:53:00.000+01:00

According to EUObserver.com, opposition from four EU member states to a draft agreement between the EU and US allowing the use of banking data in anti-terrorist investigations is likely to delay a decision until after 1 December, drawing the European Parliament into the decision making process.

Citing data privacy concerns, Germany, Austria, France and Finland are opposing the text negotiated by the Swedish EU presidency and the European Commission allowing American authorities access to information from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift) - the interbank transfer service.

Read the article here: http://euobserver.com/9/28984/?rk=1

Google unveils privacy tools

2009-11-05T16:58:00.001+01:00

The FT reports that Google has unveiling tools that will allow users to see what information the internet company is keeping on them, to aleviate the concerns of privacy campaigners.

Users who have signed up for any of Google’s consumer services, such as Gmail, Blogger, Picasa, and YouTube, will be able to see a “dashboard” listing the personal details that are stored about them. Users will be able to edit and delete the information.

The dashboard is similar to the tools Google introduced earlier this year to allow people to see the data that it was collecting about them in order to serve them targeted advertising.
Privacy campaigners welcomed the privacy tools as a step forward. “If the rest of the industry took this line, we would start to solve some of the problems with privacy,” said Simon Davies of Privacy International, the pressure group.

Read the article here: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e5116b30-c9f5-11de-a5b5-00144feabdc0.html

International Domains Get ICANN Thumbs Up

2009-10-30T15:58:00.001+01:00

PC World reports that starting in mid-November, countries and territories will be able to apply to show domain names in their native language, a major technical tweak to the Internet designed to increase language accessibility.

On Friday, the Internet's addressing authority approved a Fast-Track Process for applying for an IDN (Internationalized Domain Name) and will begin accepting applications on Nov. 16.
The move comes after years of technical testing and policy development, said the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which held a meeting in Seoul this week.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/181052/international_domains_get_icann_thumbs_up.html

EU opens historical archives to public

2009-10-23T10:50:00.002+02:00

Euractiv.com reports that thousands of EU publications were made available to the public for free last week (16 October) following the launch in Frankfurt of a new digital library, the 'EU Bookshop'.

The EU Bookshop website hosts an electronic library containing 12 million scanned pages from over 110,000 historical publications. A further two million pages from more recent ones are also included.

The site, launched at the Frankfurt Book Fair, features all publications edited by the EU's Publications Office on behalf of the European institutions, agencies and other associated bodies since 1952.

New publications will be added every day at a rate of up to 1,600 per year.
"With the digital library, we have total transparency" of EU legislative and cultural publications, Multilingualism Commissioner Leonard Orban told AFP on Sunday, adding: "No-one can complain now of problems consulting legislative texts and associated documents."

Read the entire article here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/culture/eu-opens-historical-archives-public/article-186546

2009-10-23T10:48:00.000+02:00

According to Eurocativ.com, the European Commission will establish "simple and cost-efficient rights clearance systems" on the digitisation of published works and their availability on the Internet, it announced this week (19 October).

The legal implications of digitisation en masse and the potential costs for rights clearance are the two main issues that emerged from a consultation with libraries, publishers and other stakeholders.

The Commission says it will deal with the copyright aspects of digital publishing in the context of a new strategy on intellectual property rights in 2010.

Read the entire article here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/eu-tackle-digital-book-copyright-2010/article-186586

ECB joins chorus attacking EU hedge fund plans

2009-10-23T10:44:00.000+02:00

EOObserver.com reports that the European Central Bank has added its name to the extensive list of critics of EU plans to clamp down on the hedge fund sector, saying over-regulation could drive the industry out of Europe.

The European Commission came forward with a draft directive before the summer to improve regulation of the hedge fund and private equity sectors, with the proposals currently being studied by the European Parliament and member states.

The commission plans call for the registration and regulation of all "alternative investment funds".

The funds would be obliged to disclose information on the types of assets it invests in as well as provide details on their use of short selling, one of the tactics blamed for exacerbating the financial crisis.

Non-EU fund managers would also be obliged to comply with the rules if they wished to sell their products within the bloc.

But consensus is growing amongst bankers and EU officials that the commission's one-size-fits-all' approach for all types of funds is too simplistic and needs alteration.

Read the entire article here: http://euobserver.com/9/28875/?rk=1

Anti-fraud body not eager to cut loose from EU commission

2009-10-13T09:59:00.002+02:00

EUObserver reports that leading politicians and civil servants on Monday expressed serious reservations at making EU's anti-fraud body fully independent from the European Commission, an idea floated by its newly reappointed chief Jose Manuel Barroso.

Ten years since its creation, the European Anti-Fraud Office (Olaf, to use its French acronym) is still fighting some "childhood diseases", its head, Franz Hermann Bruner, told an anniversary conference on Monday (12 October) in Brussels. He admitted that there were still gaps, that the statute of its staff was somewhat unclear, but rejected the idea of cutting the institution completely off from the European Commission.

ARMA European Regional Board Elections

2009-10-09T10:16:00.002+02:00

To all European ARMA members:

On behalf of the Steering Committee of the European Region, I am writing to invite nominations for the upcoming elections of the 2010 European Region's first Board Members.
The following positions will be elected, and then supplemented with appointees (made by the elected officers) for specific functions such as Membership, Education, Public Relations and Strategic Partnerships:

Region Director:
The role of the European Region Director will be to represent the best interests of the voting members of the European Region of ARMA International. Duties include:

To provide leadership, and overall direction for all regional activities and initiatives.
To be accountable to the Region's members, and to represent the wishes of the majority.
To be accountable to the ARMA Board [Note: this may change under the new Two-Committee structure that took effect on 1 July 2009]
To ensure that the Region complies with ARMA International accounting and other rules.
To adhere to the Bylaws and established Policies and Procedures of ARMA International.
To serve as the link between the Region and the ARMA European Office; Member Services at ARMA Headquarters; and the International Region.
To submit an Activity Report to the Director of Member Services, at least one month prior to each regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors.
To attend (at ARMA's expense) ARMA International's Region and Chapter Leadership session(s), including those held in conjunction with ARMA's annual Conference.
To delegate responsibility for regional operational functions (e.g: Website, newsletter, blog).
To appoint Task Forces [Working Groups] including, for example:
-Membership Task Force.
-Strategic Alliance Task Force.
-Marketing and Public Relations Task Force.
- Education and Professional Development Task Force.
- Regional Conference(s) Task Force.
To sanction and charter new Chapters within the European Region, whenever deemed appropriate. [Note: The European Region's Board to take account of the wishes of the local membership in determining whether Chapters should be based on Country, City or other entity]

Deputy Region Director:
To support the Region Director in his/her tasks listed above and replace him/her when required.

Secretary:
To maintain the minutes of the Board meetings and of the annual business meeting and submit them within ten (10) days of said meeting to the Board members for approval.

To coordinate, and take ownership of, all official communications - internal and external - with relevant Task Forces, Committees and Staff.
To establish standardised procedures and processes for managing the life-cycle of the Region' business records in accordance with Records and Archives Management best practice.
To establish processes for managing the Region's Archives (relating to the establishment, structure and administration of the Region) and memorabilia, in appropriate repositories.

Treasurer:

To be accountable to the Region's Board and members, for the Region's financial matters.
To work with the Region Director to create and manage the budget for the fiscal year.
To ensure that the Region fully complies with ARMA's approved accounting procedures.
To collect and deposit all revenues (eg: from membership dues, meeting attendance fees, sales of publications, or fees from special events, etc.) in a secure place.
To submit a report to the Region's Board meetings, itemizing the revenues and expenditures.
To submit all proposed expenditures to the Region's Board for its approval (if an immediate approval is required, then the Director may approve).
To submit financial and other reports as required by ARMA International.

To nominate yourself, may I kindly ask you to submit to me a short bio (max 300 words), a picture, and a short motivation (max 300 words) supporting your nomination, for example outlining a vision of where you would like to take ARMA Europe, and why you would like to be elected.

Please note that the deadline for nominations is 19 October. Only self-nominations will be accepted. Voting will be carried-out electronically, between 20 October and 3 November 2009 and will be anonymous. All European ARMA members will receive an e-mail on or around 20 October with a link to the voting survey. The results will be announced shortly after voting ends.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions. We look forward to receiving your nomination.

Kind regards,

Michiel Gen
European Representative
----------------------------------------------
ARMA International - European Office
287 Avenue Louise
1050 Brussels, Belgium
tel +32 2 627 0161
fax + 32 2 645 2671
michiel.gen (at) armaintl.org
www.arma.org

ARMA International is a not-for-profit professional association and global authority on managing records and information. Make us your first stop for education, standards, and other information management-related resources!

Future of internet has dangers for privacy, Brussels warns

2009-10-07T13:08:00.003+02:00

EUObserver.com reports that according to the European Commission, the future of the internet contains pitfalls as well as possibilities

There is a dark side to some of the impressive new online technologies that are appearing, from social networking to behavioural advertising to RFID smart chips, the European Commission's internet chief has warned.

While such technologies offer great vistas of opportunity, the commission is monitoring their development "closely" for the very real potential threats to privacy they contain, information society commissioner Viviane Reding said on Monday at a debate on the future of the internet in Brussels.

Read the article on EUObserver.com here: http://euobserver.com/9/28792/?rk=1#

Commission proposes to strengthen financial supervision in Europe

2009-09-24T09:39:00.000+02:00

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.

More information

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

2009-09-21T17:05:00.002+02:00

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

2009-09-10T14:46:00.002+02:00

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

2009-09-07T10:38:00.002+02:00

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

2009-09-07T10:16:00.000+02:00

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

2009-09-04T12:05:00.000+02:00

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

2009-09-03T10:39:00.002+02:00

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, â€œa 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 studentsâ€.

EU digital library scheme plodding along, complains EU Commissioner

2009-09-01T10:55:00.001+02:00

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

EU takes sides in new standard war for wireless

2009-08-28T15:56:00.001+02:00

The European Commission took another step to promote the LTE standard for the fourth generation of wireless telecommunications by announcing a further investment of €18 million in this technology, de facto ditching the alternative WiMax.

Continue reading here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/eu-takes-sides-new-standard-war-wireless/article-184678

EU-wide tax databases suggested

2009-08-24T10:38:00.001+02:00

In a bid to use the momentum of the economic crisis which has strained EU public budgets, the European Commission has proposed a potentially controversial system to boost fight against tax fraud by allowing national authorities to directly access taxpayer data in other countries.
"In the current economic situation it is more important than ever to fight tax fraud efficiently and a fully functioning administrative cooperation between tax administrations is key in that respect," the EU's taxation commissioner Laszlo Kovacs said in a statement on Tuesday (18 August).

Introducing the proposed structure, the Hungarian commissioner said he wanted to provide national tax officers with "all technical and legal means to take action" and protect other states' tax revenue "as effectively as their own."

The key element of the blueprint is the creation of "Eurofisc" - a scheme for rapid exchange of targeted information to which the authorities from all 27 EU member states would have direct access, in order to "stop fraud and catch fraudsters," Mr Kovacs said.

continue reading here: http://euobserver.com/9/28564/?rk=1

Why Cross-Border Litigation is a Compliance Concern

2009-06-03T17:04:00.000+02:00

As the global economy expands, more and more organizations are conducting business across borders, inevitably leading to litigation, government inquiries and compliance audits that span international boundaries. Not surprisingly, cross-border litigation often results in complex electronic discovery (often referred to as e-discovery) issues, where organizations are required to produce electronically stored information from various countries as evidence.

Continue reading here

Swedish Pirate Party support soars after file-sharing verdict

2009-04-21T10:10:00.001+02:00

Support for the Pirate Party, a political party running in the European elections, has soared in the wake of last week's conviction of the four Swedish founders of the file-sharing site.

Backing for the Swedish Pirate Party has now leapfrogged that of the domestic Green Party. While it may be a blip of anger after the verdict and opinions may change come election day, almost 50 percent of young men under 30 say they intend to vote for the new faction in the June 2009 elections to the European Parliament.

http://euobserver.com/9/27969/?rk=1

5 Security Flubs Users Make When Browsing the Web

2009-04-21T10:09:00.000+02:00

From haphazardly installing Active X controls, to ignoring security warnings, a look at five common ways users get off the security track online and ways to set them straight: http://www.csoonline.com/article/489738/_Security_Flubs_Users_Make_When_Browsing_the_Web_

EU deal to tighten oversight of rating agencies

2009-04-17T09:30:00.003+02:00

Euractiv.com reports that European Union legislators have struck a political agreement over new rules to tighten control of credit rating agencies such as Fitch and Moody's, which have been singled out among the main culprits for the financial turmoil.

The key element of the agreement, reached on Wednesday (15 April) between representatives of the European Parliament, member states and the Commission, concerns the registration and supervision of rating agencies.

According to the deal, the Committee of European Securities Regulators (CESR ), a body made up of national regulators, will be temporary in charge of registering credit rating agencies. So far registration was not required.

The new rules require the CESR to manage a database of historical performance information about rating agencies operating in the EU. This should allow users of rating services - such as investors - to quickly verify the accuracy of economic predictions and compare them with competitors

Under the new rules, credit rating agencies will have an obligation to disclose the names of rated companies that contribute to more than 5% of an agency's revenue. This is to prevent biased ratings driven by financial interest. They will also be forbidden to rate companies in which their analysts own shares or financial products. The consulting and advisory role of rating agencies will also be denied to companies which are themselves subject to rating. Analysts will be forced to rotate in order to avoid becoming too close to the industry sector they rate.

For more go to http://www.euractiv.com/en/financial-services/eu-deal-tighten-oversight-rating-agencies/article-181344

"Personal data - more use, more protection?", 19-20 May 2009

2009-04-15T10:20:00.001+02:00

The European Commission organises a personal data use and protection conference to look at new challenges for privacy.

How should personal data be protected in a globalised world with increased mobility and in the wake of modern communication and information technologies and new policies? Which data is accessed and exchanged by public authorities and private companies? How well are current rules on international transfers of personal data working in a time of “cloud computing”? What are the expectations of individuals and business and society as a whole? These and other topical questions will be addressed by a conference on the use, exchange and protection of personal data in the EU, organised by the European Commission, which will take place in Brussels on 19 and 20 May 2009.

Interested individuals, business leaders, consumer associations, academics, data protection supervisors and public authorities from both the EU and third countries are invited to take part.
Among the speakers will be the Vice-president of the European Commission in charge of Justice, Freedom and Security, Mr Jacques Barrot.

The conference will give the opportunity to various stakeholders to express their views and questions on the new challenges for data protection and the need for an effective information management strategy in the EU. The conference is part of the Commission’s open consultation on how the fundamental right to protection of personal data can be further developed and effectively respected, in particular in the area of freedom, justice and security.
Interpretation will be provided in English, French and German.

http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/news/events/news_events_en.htm

EU says UK failing to protect internet users' privacy

2009-04-15T10:03:00.001+02:00

According to EUobserver.com, the European Commission has threatened to take the UK to court over "structural" failures to guarantee internet users' privacy, in line with European law.
In a formal letter sent from Brussels to London on Tuesday (14 April), the commission gave UK authorities two months to respond to criticism of new web surveillance technology or face legal action at the Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

The complaint centres around US-based software company Phorm, which uses records of people's surfing activity obtained from internet service providers to help advertisers target customers more accurately.

Read the entire article here: http://euobserver.com/9/27945/?rk=1

Commission recommends staff to be intransparent

2009-04-14T17:57:00.001+02:00

EU affairs blogger Julien Frisch reports that in a Vademcum (handbook) leaked on Wikileaks it has become obvious that the Commission is advising its staff to write documents and emails in way that allow maximum intransparency.

Continue reading here: http://julienfrisch.blogspot.com/2009/04/commission-recommends-its-staff-to-be.html