Online Public Consultation on RFID by European Commission

Filed in archive Implementation on July 3, 2006

An online publication has been launched on the Your Voice in Europe website regarding how the European Commission can help in ensuring that the growing use of RFID boosts the competitiveness of the Europe's economy and improve the quality of life of its citizens while safeguarding their basic rights. One can visit this site on http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice.

As per Viviane Reding, Information Society and Media Commissioner:

We need to build a society-wide consensus on the future of RFID. We need to ensure that RFID technology delivers on its economic potential and to create the right opportunities for its use for the wider public good, while ensuring that citizens remain in control of their data. In a Communication planned for December 2006, the European Commission intends to assume these twin responsibilities. I invite all stakeholders to contribute to this debate.

In order to avoid the possibility of a fragmented approach to RFID in Europe, the commission has come out with an ambitious timeline for the adoption of a policy environment in order to stimulate the use of RFID technology while providing safeguards for personal data. The first phase which was conducted from March to June 2006 involved five workshops for accessing the potential of RFID and society but also concerns regarding personal privacy and security. Now the second phase has been started in which industry stakeholders and the general public is being invited in order to respond to the questions on the website. The commission is expecting the consultation to produce a wide consensus as to whether Europe requires a stable policy environment which encourages all types of companies to invest in RFID technology and harmonize technology standards as well as radio frequency allocation and at the same time safeguard individual's privacy and security.