Press release: March 14th 2006.

Mr. Fred Baker, chair of the Internet Society (ISOC, http://www.isoc.org), signed on February 11th, in Utrecht, Netherlands, the certificate that allows the legal incorporation of ISOC European Chapters Coordinating Council (ISOC-ECC, http://www.isoc-ecc.org), as well as it allows the use of ISOC’s name and logo.

ISOC-ECC is the first initiative to establish a continental organization within ISOC structures, it actually includes 20 associations and representatives from fifteen different European countries and is due to become a key actor in Internet-related issues at the European and global level. It is a multi-stake holder group as it includes civil society, private sector and academic sector representatives, some of them serving at local, regional or national public offices. Like ISOC, ISOC-ECC focuses on three Internet-related issues: internet standards, education and public policy.

This signature brings to an end the very long negotiations started more than 8 years ago between the Headquarters of ISOC and the European chapters. During this period, although ISOC-ECC stayed active, the lack of the convenient legal framework limited the scope of its actions. In May 2004, ISOC HQ and ISOC-ECC reached the final agreement (Memorandum of Understanding, MoU) during Barcelona’s INET Conference. ISOC-ECC elections where held in June 2004 and E-mail voting procedures where later drafted by the new Board and approved by ISOC-ECC’s Council. Based on these procedures the first Virtual General Assembly of ISOC-ECC was hosted by ISOC-Belgium in April 2005. At this Assembly, 48 representatives discussing and voting through different internet-based tools, decided to incorporate ISOC-ECC as a legal entity, using a call for candidates to select the place where to establish the Headquarters. Terms and conditions of the call were drafted and approved. Finally Barcelona’s candidature was chosen and the incorporation procedure begun in Spain. After obtaining ISOC’s certificate that officially allows the incorporation of ISOC-ECC, complete legal recognition of ISOC-ECC shall be obtained this summer. Further steps are foreseen as for ISOC-ECC to be recognized by the main European and global institutions.

ISOC-ECC is due to defend ISOC’s principles and goals at the European level, it is also due to defend European interests in Internet-related issues in front of ISOC and other institutions acting at global level. It shall be a tool to foster European cooperation in internet projects while promoting the dialog between the main European actors involved in Internet-related issues. It shall help educate European users, industry and researchers and it shall foster their participation in the decision taking procedures about Internet related issues.

ISOC-ECC Board Members

Chair: Ms. Borka Jerman Blazic from ISOC-Slovenia

Vice-Chair: Mr. Andrés Oliva from ISOC’s Catalan Chapter

Secretary: Mr. Eric Tomson from ISOC-Belgium-Wallonie

Treasurer: Mr. Rudi Vansnick from ISOC-Belgium

Ex-Officio : Mr. David MacAuley from ISOC Headquarters

ISOC-ECC Council Members