FIRST VISIT : DIRECTIONS FOR USE

Navigating on this web site is possible through pull-down menus and tools.

Pull-down menus for direct access to information

The information available on the Observatory’s web site is categorised into eight main themes : Current issues, Information, Practical sheets, Legal framework, Working groups, Initiatives, Forum, Links

Current issues This section offers you a survey of what is going on in the field of ICT in Belgium, in Europe and worldwide.
Information You will find a presentation of the Observatory, its press releases as well as related documentation.
Practical sheets Parents, children, companies, citizens, internet users, … are provided with practical information that is of direct concern to them : e.g. relating to the chat, to child pornography, payments and music exchange on the Internet, …

Example :
Parents are worried that their child downloads and shares music via the Internet.
Questions raised :
What are MP3 files? And what have they got to do with music? Where can my child find online music? What is a file-sharing software? Is it illegal? How to know if my child exchanges music files through the Internet?
Legal framework The legal framework encompasses information relating to the following areas : intellectual property, public administration and e-government, e-commerce, illegal and prejudicial contents, privacy and other fundamental rights, cyber-criminality, regulation of the media and convergence, applicable law and court having jurisdiction.
This section does not only make an inventory of the legislation in force in Belgium, in the European Union and worldwide, it also supplies practical examples – case law – that are easier for the public to understand. The information provided is generally complemented by summaries and comments.
Working groups There are presently five working groups. Their number may however vary in the course of time. Each of these groups deals with a specific matter : the labelling of web sites, the digital divide, e-government, the obstacles to e-commerce and the protection of minors on the Internet.
Initiatives You will find the opinions given by the Observatory, the events in which it is involved as well as information on the European network of which it is a member.
Forum This section gives you access to the discussion forum, which it presents. It also sets out its objective, charter and mode of registration, …
Links These links provide access to the bodies represented in the Observatory, to the other European observatories, to European Centres for Law and IT and to institutions.

Tools to facilitate the navigation and search

The following tools are at your disposal :

What's new? This allows you to go through the list of news and updates available on the Observatory’s web site.
You can, if you so wish, be informed thereof by an electronic newsletter.
Contacts Do you need more details on the various issues addressed by the Observatory?
This web page gives you the name of contact persons, the postal address, the e-mail addresses, the telephone and fax numbers, … and the map of access to the Observatory’s Secretariat.
Privacy This tool sets out the privacy policy pursued by the Observatory on its web site.
Glossary The words recurring on this web site that are not commonly used are put into a glossary that works by means of hyperlinks.