The European Parliament (EP) approved a series of compromise amen...

Council, focus on the agency’s tasks, its operational structure, the initial evaluation of its work and where its hq will be, the EP said. The adoption of the amendments will allow the regulation to be adopted at first reading. The amendments provide that: (1) ENISA have a management board composed of one representative from each member state, as opposed to the EC’s original plan to have 6 representatives appointed by the Council, 3 named by the EC and 3 proposed by the EC and appointed by the Council, with no voting rights. (2) The executive director’s term run 5 years, rather than the 2 years proposed by the EC. (3) ENISA have a Permanent Stakeholders Group, instead of the advisory board called for by the EC. The group should consist of experts from relevant stakeholders such as the information & communications technology industry, academic experts in network and information security, and consumer groups. Procedures governing the number, composition and appointment of members by the exec. dir., as well as operation of the group, should be set out in the agency’s internal rules or operation and should be made public. (4) ENISA be headquartered in Brussels. (5) The agency’s objectives and tasks not prejudice member states’ actions such as network and information security, public security, defense, state security and criminal law. (6) ENISA be evaluated to determine whether its work should continue beyond 2008. The new agency is on the agenda for the Telecom Council meeting in Brussels today (Nov. 20). The council is expected to reach political agreement on the compromise and issue a declaration stating that ENISA should be sited in Brussels until its permanent hq has been decided by heads of states, the EC said.