Europe trails UK on spam control

Eight countries within the European Union (EU) have still to enact its privacy directive governing spam email and internet cookies.

The European Commission has sent a second warning to Belgium, Germany, Greece, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Finland telling them they have two months to comply or face lawsuits before the European Court of Justice.

The Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive set EU-wide rules for the protection of privacy and personal data in mobile and fixed communications, including the internet.

The regulations, adopted in July last year, ban all commercial emails to consumers unless requested by recipients.

They also set strict rules for installing cookies, small pieces of software which track where surfers visit on the internet.

The deadline for incorporating the directive into national law was 31 October 2003.

The UK parliament passed the regulations, making the directive law in this country last December.

An EU spokesman told vnunet.com it was unclear why the remaining countries had so far failed to sign up. "It is not something that was forced on them," he said.

"They agreed to sign up and should practise what they preach."