The BBC reports:
A series of amendments to a regulation on how internet traffic is managed in Europe were all rejected by MEPs.
Proponents of net neutrality, who demand that web traffic be treated equally by networks, have already criticised the move.
The existing legislation, which was accepted, will be developed into regulations.
[...]
Although some campaigners had suggested there might be growing support for the amendments within the parliament, all were voted down in large majorities.
It is thought that many MEPs would have been reluctant to begin a process of amending the regulation given that it might have delayed another aspect of the rules - the abolition of mobile data roaming charges.
Later on they detail the problems of the rules that have been adopted:
Part of the problem with the rules in their current form, argued Joe McNamee at the European Digital Rights campaign group, is that they are ambiguous.
"As the text currently stands there is no indication as to how much abuse of dominance would be permissible under this arrangement," he told the BBC.
The sort of scenarios that could impact internet use include the creation of "fast lanes" and "slow lanes" - traffic prioritised depending on fees paid by content providers - or the creation of "zero ratings" in which some services may be accessed without using up any of the internet user's data quota.
In Belgium, for example, some mobile phone companies currently allow unlimited access to Twitter and Facebook while all other data usage is part of a monthly plan. In a few countries such as the Netherlands, such practices are not allowed.
(Score: 2) by canopic jug on Wednesday October 28 2015, @03:22PM
Yes, this is bad news. I've seen about a dozen articles now. Most seem to be aware of what happened and what is being lost, but there has not been an accounting for how each MEP voted. Also, from what I gather, nearly all of them blew off the debate in the morning.
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 4, Informative) by fritsd on Wednesday October 28 2015, @04:42PM
It's always a bit of digging to find out..
Here's what I got so far: press release:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20151022IPR98802/html/End-in-sight-for-mobile-phone-%E2%80%9Croaming%E2%80%9D-fees-and-unequal-internet-access [europa.eu]
So the committee is called ITRE (Industry Research and Energy), and rapporteur for this issue is Pilar del Castillo Vera [europa.eu] (Partido Popular, Spain)
Partido Popular is on the right side within the EPP, so she's a bit further-than-centre-right, or, in current American terms, a rabid pinko commie hippie ;-)
and on her site we find :
RECOMMENDATION FOR SECOND READING on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down measures concerning open internet access and amending Directive 2002/22/EC on universal service and users’ rights relating to electronic communications networks and services and Regulation (EU) No 531/2012 on roaming on public mobile communications networks within the Union [europa.eu]
and that document contains the specific votes. 51 voted for (looks quite broad: PPE and S&D and ALDE and then some) and 10 voted against (mostly Greens: GUE/NGL and Verts/ALE, but also EFDD who are against anything that Europe does)
It is called "recommendation for second reading" but I think this is europarl-speak for "we voted yes go ahead", because there was a majority and no amendments.
(Score: 2) by sudo rm -rf on Wednesday October 28 2015, @04:55PM
I also spent already too much time searching for that info, found only one source that far and that is only for German MEPs (Member of the European Parliaments? Shouldn't it be MsEP?)
The page [sven-giegold.de] is in german, but the result is in pictures.
Explanation and votes:
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen = Greens 10Y 0A 0N
Die Linke = Socialists 7Y 0A 0N
SPD = Social Democrats 22Y 1A 1N
CDU/CSU = Christian Democrats 1Y 0A 30N
FDP = Liberals 3Y 0A 5N
ALFA = hmmm... something like the US Tea Party Movement? 1Y 1A 5N
Why is it so hard to find out who voted for what?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 28 2015, @05:11PM
So the majority of the German EP members voted for the amendments.