World Affairs

Brussels Meeting

March 24, 2011  • IDEA Project Editor

International Digital Economy Accords Brussels Meeting
Brussels, Belgium
March 23 – March 24, 2011

The Aspen Institute IDEA Plenary in Brussels, co-hosted by the United States Ambassador to the European Union, was a Transatlantic dialogue to address common interests in a free and open Internet capable of enhancing economic growth, social benefits and end-to-end communication. The Aspen IDEA Project, an international initiative, aims to foster a unified, reliable, and open global Internet through a multi-stakeholder process. The process includes an increasing number of companies, non-governmental organizations, and government officials. The Brussels meeting was the third in a series of five plenary meetings and a key first meeting outside the United States, to create more global solutions to the major issues underlying a unified, reliable and open Internet.

The Brussels meeting included the participation of over 20 companies, 10 non-governmental organizations, and various government leaders, including European Commission Vice President and Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice President and Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, European Parliament members Alexander Alvaro and Marietje Schaake, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Chairman Konrad von Fickenstein, US Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Karen Kornbluh, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information at the US Department of Commerce Lawrence Strickling, US Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, US Ambassador to the European Union William Kennard, and former FCC Chairman and Aspen IDEA Project Chair Reed Hundt.

View the full list of Roundtable participants (PDF)

Speeches given at the Brussels meeting:

“The Cloud: Unleashing Global Opportunities”
Julius Genachowski, Chairman of US Federal Communications Commission

“Privacy standards in the digital economy: enhancing trust and legal certainty in transatlantic relations”
Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission and EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship