Information society, eEurope 2005: European network and information security Agency

The committee adopted the report by Reino PAASILINNA (PES, FIN) amending the proposal under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure. The amendments focused on the tasks of the new agency, the composition of the advisory and management boards and the initial evaluation of the Agency's work. The committee said that the new agency should ensure that security solutions are easily accessible to small and medium-sized companies. It should provide advice to the Commission, Parliament, competent national and European bodies and the business community. It should also invite tenders for research in the area of network and information security. MEPs wanted the Agency's management board to be approved, before 31 January each year, by both the Commission and the European Parliament. They added that the Agency's advisory board of nine experts should include representatives from industry, consumer associations and the science and research sector in the area of network and information security. The committee also stressed that when the time comes, Parliament and the Council should have a say in whether the Agency's life-span is extended beyond 2008, rather than leaving this to the Commission.�