Vol. 571 No. 4
121 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the serious cost and inconvenience being caused to private and commercial e-mail users as a result of spam; when the promised regulations to control spam will be in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22062/03]
Spam is a growing problem and remedial action is urgently required. Recent figures released by the European Commission indicated that about 48% of global e-mail traffic was spam and that time wasted in clearing inboxes cost firms €2.5 billion in productivity. Aside from significant costs to recipients, Internet service providers and network operators are also finding that spam is having a considerable impact and is clogging global communications networks and interfering significantly with legitimate data transmission.
The issue of spam to businesses requires careful consideration. It is important that any measures introduced do not impede legitimate marketing by reputable companies. The effects of measures on small and medium enterprises have also to be considered. E-mail is a hugely important marketing and communication tool. It is important in that context to achieve an appropriate balance between measures to combat spam and to facilitate the use of electronic communications as a driver for further development and increased productivity.
The European Commission and the member states of the EU have agreed a co-ordinated approach and are also determined to ensure that progress is made on global measures to deal with this phenomenon. Measures are being considered at OECD level and also by the International Telecommunications Union, an organisation affiliated to the United Nations. It is anticipated that discussions on additional co-operative measures will take place over the coming months.
