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Europe Pursues Central E-Customs System
by Winter Casey
The European Commission announced Tuesday that the European Council of Ministers is making progress toward connecting electronic customs systems across Europe.
The commission, the European Union's executive arm, and its participating nations would like to implement the network in stages. The European Parliament must approve the proposal.
"The commitment made by the commission and the member-states paves the way to a paper-free environment for customs, which will facilitate communications between traders and customs, and allow for faster and better exchange of information between European customs authorities," Taxation and Customs Commissioner Laszlo Kovacs said in a statement. "A pan-European electronic customs will increase the competitiveness of companies doing business in Europe, reduce compliance costs and improve security at the EU borders."
While all EU countries already have e-customs systems, they are not connected. The proposal seeks to make the e-customs systems compatible and create a single computer portal for all countries to share. Under the proposal, electronic declarations would become mandatory.
In other European news, techies will be gathering in Belgium this month for two networking events. One event will bring together the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, the Turkish Research and Business Organization in Brussels, Belgium, and the European Commission's Information Society and Media directorate-general on May 22 in Brussels.
South of Brussels in Gosselies, meanwhile, a Belgian-based scientific technology research center is slated to hold a high-tech networking event May 23.
Australia Eyes Better Citizen Cyber Security
The Australian government plans to spend millions of dollars over the next four years to protect citizens from cyber attacks, Communications Minister Helen Coonan said Tuesday.
"The Australian government has identified the protection of home users and [small and medium-sized businesses] from electronic attacks and fraud as an important priority," she said in a statement. "The e-security environment has changed significantly with an increase in more sophisticated and targeted attacks on home users and small to medium enterprises."
The government will spend $11.3 million to protect Australians from online attacks that target home computers and small businesses. The money will be used to increase national awareness through such measures as an annual security awareness week and the expansion of a Web site to give citizens information on e-security threats.
The government also will expand an Internet security initiative that identifies compromised computers and supports Internet service providers in helping customers restore computer security.
"This package of measures will provide Australians with the information and skills to improve their computer defenses and ensure they stay smart online," Coonan said. "I look forward to working with industry to raise the level of e-security awareness in the community," she added.
The $13.6 million funding comes from a $61 million package focused on strengthening the electronic operating environment for businesses, home users and government agencies.
Coonan also said Tuesday that $8.7 million would be allocated to help community broadcasters establish digital radio infrastructure.
Canada Invests In Technology At Border
Canadian officials on Monday announced the launch of intelligent transportation systems at the Blue Water Bridge border crossing that connects Ontario to Michigan in the United States.
"Innovative technologies at strategic locations, like border crossings, are extremely beneficial for businesses and travelers," said Pat Davidson, a member of the Canadian House of Commons.
Canada is providing funding for pavement sensors that monitor vehicle speeds and send traffic information to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation's southwestern regional communications center. Funding also will be used to install nine closed-circuit television cameras to help the Ontario ministry staff detect incidents and dispatch emergency services sooner.
The Blue Water Bridge initiative is just one element of Canada's federal and provincial action plan for intelligent border-crossing, which is a joint initiative of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Transport Canada that is focused on providing the most effective border crossings between Ontario and the United States.
The action plan also calls for investments in traveler information systems, commercial vehicle and passenger pre-screening services, and traffic management systems. This year, Ontario's government is investing more than $1.7 billion in highway improvements.
South Korea To Probe Web Portal Operators
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission, the country's antitrust watchdog, has launched an investigation of local, major Internet portal operators, Asia Pulse reported Wednesday. Some suspect the operators have engaged in price-fixing and other unfair business practices.
Sources told Asia Pulse that the commission is investigating Daum Communications, NHN and SK Communications for allegedly rigging prices related to online advertisements. "It is not targeted at a few portal operators but the whole industry," an NHN spokesman said.
The commission said earlier this year that it would investigate Internet portal operators for their alleged abuse of market dominance and other unfair business activities.
Agence France-Presse, meanwhile, reported last week that Turkish lawmakers have adopted a law to let the country block Internet access to certain Web sites.
According to state reports, the legislation would let authorities prevent access to sites that insult the country's national heroes or include content related to criminal activities, such as the sexual abuse of minors and prostitution.
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