The European Parliament thinks that some of the proposals under consideration at the upcoming WCIT conference "could seriously threaten the open and competitive nature of the internet". The EU parliament has recently approved a 12-point resolution stating that the ITU is not the correct entity to preside over the Internet.
Point five in the resolution reads that "the ITU, or any other single, centralised international institution, is not the appropriate body to assert regulatory authority over either internet governance or internet traffic flows". The resolution also focuses on lack of sufficient transparency and inclusiveness in the process, negative impact of the proposals on the Internet and the digital economy, and implies that the ITU is seeking to become a "ruling power" over aspects of the Internet.
In response, the ITU's main staff person for WCIT, Richard Hill, posted a blog post calling the resolution "flawed". Hill complains: "I don’t understand why European parliamentarians did not obtain correct information – either directly from the ITU Secretariat – or from their Member State representatives." The ITU representative claims that the process has been inclusive of member states and states that "freedom of expression and the right to communicate are already enshrined in many UN and international treaties that ITU has taken into account in the establishment of its Constitution and Convention."
It is worth noting that only government representatives are allowed speak at WCIT, and only governments are allowed to put forward changes to be considered.
