Over the past several years I have met with European Union (EU) officials about public policy and small business. And, while these officials proudly tell me that they have adopted a small business attitude in the EU – that is, to “think small” before regulating -- a current initiative to extend broadcasting regulations to websites that use video images -- from small business to clubs and organization to “video bloggers” (read: YouTube, etc.) -- runs counters to their small-business sensitive claims.
According to an October 17 article in the The Times, “The European Commission proposal would require websites and mobile phone services that feature video images to conform to standards laid down in Brussels.”
The purpose of the proposed regulation is to “set minimum standards” in areas such as advertising, hate speech and the protection of children.
UK Broadcasting Minister, Shaun Woodward, is troubled by the proposal and is working to thwart the effort, or at a minimum to find a compromise: “Supposing you set up a website for your amateur rugby club, uploaded some images and added a link advertising your local sports shop. You would then be a supplier of moving images and need to be licensed and comply with the regulations.”
If EU regulators were really “thinking small,” they would inherently know that one-size-fits-all regulation is not only a poor approach to enabling innovation and entrepreneurship, but a bad approach to public-policy making in general.
Karen Kerrigan
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