The EU is now determined to clamp down on blogs.. Eurocrats instinctively dislike spontaneous activity. To them, "unregulated" is almost synonymous with "illegal". The bureaucratic mindset demands uniformity, licensing & order.

Eurocrats are especially upset because many bloggers, being of an anarchic disposition, are anti-Brussels. In the French, Dutch and Irish referendums, the traditional media were uniformly pro-treaty, whereas internet activity was overwhelmingly sceptical.

The EU's solution? Why, to regulate blogs!  Back in June, MEPs began to complain that unlicensed blogs were "polluting" cyberspace with "misinformation and malicious intent".They wanted "a quality mark, a disclosure of who is writing and why".

It is easy to think that not even the European Parliament would actually try to censor the internet. No wrong. Their full report wants to "clarify the status, legal or otherwise, of weblogs", and to ensure their "voluntary labelling according to the professional and financial responsibilities and interests of their authors and publishers."

With a glorious lack of self-awareness, the Euro-MPs behind the report elaborate their motives: "The report points out that the undetermined and unindicated status of authors and publishers of weblogs causes uncertainties regarding impartiality, reliability, source protection, applicability of ethical codes and the assignment of liability in the event of lawsuits. It recommends clarification of the legal status of different categories of weblog authors and publishers as well as disclosure of interests and voluntary labelling of weblogs." 

Popular Alliance Comment:

It is surely better to have all sides of an argument available for the public to understand. However the EU know that the only way the majority of the electorate will ever support them is to manipulate the media and create propaganda that will make eurosceptics appear misinformed.

Long may blogs appear on the internet, that attempt to tell the truth and offer opinions for consideration and debate. 

We know from our website hit records that several leading UK politicians and leading newspapers commentators read our bogs and policies on both this and the main www.popularalliance.org. We also recognise our ideas when repeated word for word and would appreciate some recognition for the "borrowing" of these ideas. Without blogs, we suggest our politicians would have even less ideas than they are given (debatable) credit for. If the communist EU have a problem with that, then they are welcome to help us dig the English Channel wider. I here and ready with my shovel !!