Users rights Amendment 138 re-written in favour of copyright, and the French and UK governments.But Telefonica's block on Skype shows how the policy-makers are mis-reading the latest developments. 

The European Parliament looks set to give  in to pressure from the UK and France, and  capitulate in its stand-off with the Council over  the users rights Amendment 138.   This strategic  change to the Telecoms Package, if it goes through, would seal the end to users rights of unlimited access on the Internet under EU law. The warning comes  just as  Skype is blocked for the second time in a week, this time by Spain's Telefonica.

A  revised text for Amendment 138  is understood to have been agreed by the European Parliament's Telecoms

Read more: Internet rights being written out as Spain blocks Skype

Microsoft, Google, Intel and Skype have called on the EU to halt the damaging Telecoms Package proposals which would limit Internet access and legally permit operators to block applications such as Skype. They want the EU to write in to the new law  a guarantee of open access to all content, services and applications.

Microsoft has joined forces with its arch rival Google, as well as the powerful component-maker Intel and Internet voice service suppliers  such as Skype, in  opposing EU plans which limit Internet  access. The plans are set out in the latest draft of the Telecoms Package, which will legally permit broadband operators to block services at their discretion. Microsoft and Google and their  partners  call on   European politicians and decision-makers to change the draft law before it is too late.  They demand that the law should instead give Internet users a guarantee of open access.

In a statement, they say: "On Tuesday, the European Parliament voted on part of the Telecoms Package, one of the cornerstones in the Regulation of the Electronic Communications  Sector. Many provisions adopted by the Committee leading on Universal service  open the door to the blocking or degrading of content, services or applications  by access operators for motives that extend beyond efficient traffic management."

They argue that the so-called transparency proposals in the Telecoms Package are insufficient safeguards for users against blocking practices by network operators.  They cite as an example, the recent decision by T-Mobile to block

Read more: IT giants oppose EU Internet-limiting law

There was bad news for users and ISPs as the European Parliament's IMCO commitee voted today on Telecoms Package amendments which will  limit what users can do on the Internet. The vote signalled that the Package is again opening the door to 3-strikes measures: proposals related to users rights were either rejected or are being amended to remove rights,  and ISPs will not get reimbursed for sending warning messages.

The key text that was voted  will give broadband providers the right to limit users access to services and applications (Article 20.1 (b) and Article 21.3, "compromise" amendment CA5 ot the Unversal Services directive).

An amendment to give users a guaranteed right to a connection (AM 111 tabled by Swedish MEP Eva-Britt Svensson)  was rejected, and another, to safeguard users rights (Article 32a Am 72=146)  will be subject to trialogue negotiations where texts already circulating will deprive users of rights. A raft of other amendments which sought to protect  users rights by strengthening  the regulator's powers, were rejected. These included a number of changes propsoed by the shadow rapporteurs, and  several amendments from Eva-Britt Svensson

 In the absence of any definition in the draft law  of "services" or "applications", we must assume that the broadband provider may define it themselves.  A logical assumption is that peer-to-peer applications will be targetted, as well as voice-over-IP(VoIP). Skype already says that it is being blocked by

Read more: European Parliament compromises on Internet rights