by Stewart Baker
[email protected]
December 1997
Attached below is a joint statement on electronic commerce signed earlier this month during a summit between President Clinton and leaders of the European Union. The statement sets out general principles focusing on facilitating the market-driven development of electronic commerce. For example, one principle states that "taxes on electronic commerce should be clear, consistent, neutral and non-discriminatory" and any other regulation that is deemed necessary "should not be to the advantage or disadvantage of electronic commerce compared with other forms of commerce."
There are no substantive principles regarding encryption or authentication policies, but there is agreement to continue "substantive bilateral discussions at experts level, including, as appropriate, both government and private sector participants, on the issues mentioned above as well as other issues, such as . . . encryption [and] electronic
