GOVERNANCE OF THE INTERNET | Securing the openness of a global Internet

Our society is increasingly moving online and the European Union is no exception. From our healthcare to education, from banking to food supplies, all of us depend on secure and well-functioning Internet. Maintaining one global interoperable Internet can be achieved only through the participation of all stakeholders in making the rules that underpin the technical infrastructure of the Internet. Renew Europe is strongly committed to the multi-stakeholder model for the management of the Internet commonly referred to as Internet governance.

To prevent the erosion of the multi-stakeholder model, Europe needs to ramp up its diplomatic efforts. As Vinton Cerf, one of the fathers of the Internet and Chair of the IGF Leadership panel puts it: “The moat around their apolitical structure and functioning is a safeguard that the world cannot afford to lose.” Equally important is for the EU legislators to practice what we preach in our own legislations. EU legislations and standards can have a significant bearing around the world in terms of setting the norm. If proposals undermine the commitment to the multi-stakeholder model of the Internet governance, it provides ammunition to supporters of a state-centric approach. To this end, we identify the following lessons learned from the past to the future legislative term to safeguard the principle of non-interference in Internet governance.