4. Categories

      Key Topics: Applications, Business Models, IP Telephony, Marketing, Mobility, Unified communications

  5. About European Union

    The European Union (EU) is a political and economic community of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Europe. It was created in 1993 by the Treaty of Maastricht, adding new areas of policy to the existing European Community

    The EU establishes a single market created by a system of laws which apply in all member states, guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital. It maintains a common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development policy. In 1999 it introduced a common currency, the euro, which has been adopted by fifteen member states. It has developed a role in foreign policy, representing its members in the World Trade Organization (WTO), at G8 summits and at the United Nations (UN). Twenty-one EU countries are members of NATO. It has developed a role in justice and home affairs, including the abolition of passport control between many member states under the Schengen Agreement.

    Much of the EU's functioning depends upon agreement between the member states, an intergovernmental feature common to most international organisations. However, it also has supranational bodies, able to make decisions without the agreement of member states. Important institutions and bodies of the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank. EU citizens elect the Parliament every five years.

    The EU traces its origins to the European Coal and Steel Community formed among six countries in 1951 and the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Since then the EU has grown in size through the accession of new member states and has increased its powers by the addition of new policy areas to its remit. The Treaty of Lisbon signed in December 2007 is intended to amend the existing treaties to update the political and legal structure of the union, if ratification is completed in 2008. The EU countries have almost 500 million citizens generating an estimated 31% share of the world's nominal gross domestic product (GDP) (US$16.6 trillion) in 2007.

  7. Quotes about European Union

    1. “ For years experts have been discussing the usefulness of having an international agreement between the European Union and the US based on high standards for the protection of personal data to prevent and prosecute crime. ”
      In EU Commission plans 'umbrella' data protection deal with US
    2. “ The European Union (E.U.) has sufficient legal safeguards in place to prevent the Continent's telephone operators from selectively managing consumer access to the Internet and no new restrictions are needed. ”
      Neelie Kroes in E.U. Not Worried About Net Neutrality

  1. European Union

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    1-15 of 65 // 1 2 3 4 5 »

    1. Mentioned In 65 Articles

    2. Netherlands becomes world's second "net neutrality" country

      Explore Ars Technica (May 10 2012) Applications , IP Telephony

      Netherlands becomes world's second "net neutrality" country ...s can be stored in their browsers, but these provisions won't go into effect until 2013, giving the European Union some time to address the user tracking issue. How we got here Let's return to 2011, when KPN issued... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Vodafone   KPN   European Union

    3. EU Mobile Roaming Charges To Drop This Summer

      Explore techweekeurope.co.uk (Mar 29 2012) Mobility

      EU Mobile Roaming Charges To Drop This Summer ...ves the way for hitherto unseen competition in the market for mobile access while travelling in the European Union, from July 2014 onwards, resulting in lower prices for consumers but new threats to European operat... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Telefonica   European Commission   Informa Telecoms & Media

    4. Report: Swedish operators may block mobile VoIP calls

      Explore FierceWireless (Mar 28 2012) IP Telephony

      ...ean Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), which oversees telecom regulations across the European Union, found that mobile operators regularly block VoIP calls and prevent services such as Skype from fun... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Telefonica   European Commission   European Union

    5. EU agrees to slash roaming charges, which could crimp operator revenues

      Explore FierceWireless (Mar 28 2012) Marketing

      European Union policy makers have agreed to overhaul mobile roaming fees, allowing consumers to pay less for calls... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Informa Telecoms & Media   European Union

    6. Mobile and Untethered Trends Raise Key Questions

      Explore IP Carrier (Mar 20 2012) Mobility

      ...ngly, there is talk of the extent to which “telcos” compete with the likes of Google and Apple. The European Union’s telecom regulator, for example, now is investigating whether Vodafone , France Telecom, Telecom I... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Telefonica   Martin Geddes   Vodafone

    7. Do Telcos Really Compete with Google and Apple?

      Explore Thoughts on Carrier Evolution (Mar 20 2012) Applications , Mobility

      ...ngly, there is talk of the extent to which “telcos” compete with the likes of Google and Apple. The European Union’s telecom regulator, for example, now is investigating whether Vodafone , France Telecom, Telecom I... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Telefonica   Vodafone   Google

    8. EU Says Telcos are Blocking VoIP and P2P Traffic

      Explore The Register (Mar 16 2012) IP Telephony

      EU Says Telcos are Blocking VoIP and P2P Traffic European Union telecom companies are commonly using traffic management practices to block or slow Voice over IP  t... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   European Union   Ofcom

    9. Why Mobile Payments, Banking, Advertising Matter for Mobile Service Providers

      Explore Razorsight (Mar 6 2012) Business Models , Marketing , Mobility

      ...video revenues, as well as pressure on broadband access profit margins, that potential is tangible. European Union lawmakers, for example, recently have voted for steeper cuts to mobile phone roaming charges on Feb... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Starbucks   European Commission   European Union

    10. European Union Wants More Mobile Roaming Revenue Cuts

      Explore TechZone360 (Feb 29 2012) Marketing

      European Union lawmakers voted for steeper cuts to mobile phone roaming charges on Feb. 28, 2012, in a move that c... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   European Commission   European Union

    11. EU Rejects Plan To Scrap Mobile Roaming Charges

      Explore techweekeurope.co.uk (Feb 28 2012) Marketing

      EU Rejects Plan To Scrap Mobile Roaming Charges ...ebruary 28, 2012 by Steve McCaskill 0 A plan to eliminate mobile roaming charges by 2014 within the European Union has been defeated. A committee of MEPs decided against implementing the plan, instead deciding on a... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Vodafone   European Union   Mobile World Congress

    12. John Chambers on why Cisco never bought Skype

      Explore GigaOM (Feb 23 2012) Unified communications

      Cisco, the networking company that many felt would be a great acquirer of Skype had looked at the VoIP and video company and declined because it could see a way to do a deal without upsetting its service provider customers, according to Cisco CEO John Chambers. (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   John Chambers   Microsoft   Cisco

    13. White House announces new privacy "Bill of Rights," Do Not Track agreement

      Explore Ars Technica (Feb 23 2012) Marketing

      White House announces new privacy "Bill of Rights," Do Not Track agreement ...on's efforts are meant to help bring US privacy regulations into closer alignment with those of the European Union and other trading partners. Representatives from the EU and other "international partners" are expe... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Microsoft   Google   European Union

    14. Wah! Wah! Mommy, Skype won’t play with me

      Explore GigaOM (Feb 15 2012) Applications , Unified communications

      Wah! Wah! Mommy, Skype won’t play with me European Union's decision to approve the Microsoft & Skype merger without any objection isn't sitting well with Ci... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Microsoft   Google   European Commission

    15. Western Europe Still in FTTH Slow Lane

      Explore Light Reading (Feb 15 2012) Applications

      ... 4.5 million FTTH (including fiber-to-the-building but not fiber-to-the-cabinet) subscribers in the European Union's 27 nations, even though 25.8 million homes have been passed with fiber (giving the EU 27 a take-u... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   European Union   Ftth

    16. Opposition To ACTA Grows As UK Braces For Protests

      Explore techweekeurope.co.uk (Feb 7 2012)

      Opposition To ACTA Grows As UK Braces For Protests ...hat is designed to curb breaches of intellectual property rights. It has already been signed by the European Union, but will not come into force until a vote in the European Parliament in June. The US, Canada, Aust... (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   European Union   Tom Jowitt   European Parliament

    17. 1-15 of 65 // 1 2 3 4 5 »