Legislating for the Long Term?

[Ross Anderson]

I think it is important that we have an organisation at the European
level. That, as for as companies like Shell and Micorsoft are
concerned, is the minimum level of granularity for sensible crypto
policymaking.

It is also, as we've seen, both a place from which highly unpleasant
things may come and take us unawares, and a place which may also use
its power to curb the more extreme idiocies of national governments.

Ideally we'd have a permanent office in Brussels with a paid staff
who'd keep abreast of everything and coordinate lobbying as and when
needed from national organisations.

Without this, we're much less effective than we could be. We know
people in Germany who're concerned with these issues, and one or
two individuals in places like Italy and Belgium. However I don't
personally know anyone in France or Spain or Greece who could be
mobilised, and this is a bad thing.

Another benefit of a European office would be that companies such as
Microsoft and Sun could give financial support without this being
seen as `US companies trying to push us around' as it would be in
Whitehall if they helped to fund a UK organisation. 

Even without corporate sponsors, a European wide organisation might
raise enough in subscription income and conference profits to pay 
the salary of a full time lobbyist. I doubt we could do that in
britain alone.

Ross