Mission & programme
The mission of the European Internet Foundation is to help provide European political leadership for the development of European multilateral public policies responsive to the political, economic and social challenges of the worldwide digital revolution. Our purppose 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.
We focus 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:
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The EU policy and legislative agenda bearing directly on digital technologies, markets, industries, and primary stakeholders;
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Outreach and partnership with other communities of interest in the development and uptake of digital technologies (including priority third countries);
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Stimulating wide European awareness and debate of longer-term trends in digital technology and network society.
The Foundation does not itself take positions on specific issues.
Membership & funding
The European Internet Foundation is led and governed by our Political Members, all of whom are elected Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). We are independent, not-for-profit and non-partisan. Membership in the European Internet Foundation is open to all current MEPs.
The Foundation is financed primarily through the membership fees of our Business and Associate Members. Our 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. Our 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.
Cooperation, outreach & dialogue
The Foundation invites active cooperation with other political, academic and governmental institutions and networks, including notably the European Commission. Policy dialogue with the United States political community is assured through the Transatlantic Policy Network (TPN) . Through this EIF website and via web-based and traditional media, we also correspond more broadly with Europe's citizens on important network society issues and policy developments.