About open internet & the net neutrality debate

[...]

THE NET NEUTRALITY DEBATE
Evolution of the internet
The internet has assumed the dimensions of a global phenomenon at an exceptional pace. In
15 years, the internet connectivity market has grown from almost zero to a multi-billion euro
business. The blossoming of the internet has facilitated cross-border trade through ecommerce,
helping to further develop the internal market and contributing to the erosion of
barriers between Member States. The internet is at the core of the global economy. It has been
responsible for an unprecedented level of innovation.
The internet owes much of its success to the fact that it is open and easily accessible, provided
that the user has an internet connection. In order to provide content or services, save for some
basic technical requirements, an individual or a company does not currently face high entry
costs or other barriers that are characteristic of many other entrenched network industries.

[...]

CONCLUSION
The importance of maintaining the open internet, underlined in the Commission Declaration,
received large endorsement in the public consultation and joint Commission-Parliament
summit. The Commission remains committed to this objective, and to ensuring that the
maintenance of a robust best-efforts internet to which everyone has access.
The Commission is of the opinion that the rules on transparency, switching and quality of
service that form part of the revised EU electronic communications framework should
contribute to producing competitive outcomes.

[...]

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0222:FIN:EN:PDF