Overview[]
The European Internet Foundation (EIF) was founded in March 2000 by three Members of the European Parliament from three different political groups: James Elles, Erika Mann and Elly Plooij-van Gorsel. In 2014 it changed its name into "European Internet Forum" to better reflect its "raison d'etre."
The European Internet Forum (EIF) is an independent, not-for-profit and non-partisan organization. It is led and governed by its Political Members, all of whom are elected Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The Forum is financed primarily through the membership fees. Membership includes a core of leading European e-companies, and will be expanded to encompass a broad range of interests and actors in the vanguard of internet-driven change across Europe. Membership is open on a progressive, non-discriminatory fee basis to any duly-constituted commercial entity or interest group pledging support for our founding principles.
The mission of the European Internet Forum is to help provide European political leadership for the development of European public policies responsive to the political, economic and social challenges of the worldwide digital revolution. Its purpose is to help ensure that Europe remains at the forefront of this revolution — and benefits fully from it through enhanced global competitiveness and social progress.
The EIF focuses primarily on issues and actions arising from the treaty-based competences, internal and external, of the European Union. We pursue our mission primarily through a continuous programme of live debates, focused around three broad priorities:
- The EU policy and legislative agenda bearing directly on digital technologies, markets, industries, and primary stakeholders.
- Outreach and partnership with other communities of interest in the development and uptake of digital technologies (including priority third countries).
- Stimulating wide European awareness and debate of longer-term trends in digital technology and network society.