[* Apologies if you receive this e-mail more than once. Please share among all your relevant contacts* ] *Short version* You are all kindly invited to a workshop which will be held on *23 November 2012* in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss a key component of the "No Disconnect Strategy" of the European Commission, i.e. the development of a "European Capability for Situational Awareness". The purpose of ECSA is to augment EU decision-making capabilities with reliable and real-time (or almost real-time) information concerning human rights violations in connection with the digital environment. For further information see the full invitation below and the *attached draft agenda*(which will be updated in the coming days). The website of the workshop, where we will also publish preparatory material and the reports of the workshop, will be available shortly. For further information on the *content* of the workshop, please *write to me* (Andrea.Glorioso@ec.europa.eu). To *participate in the workshop* (no fee, but no reimbursement of expenses, either) please *write to Ms Katrin Alfano* (Katrin.Alfano@ec.europa.eu) with your name/surname, nationality and ID / passport number. *Long version* In December 2011 Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, launched the "No Disconnect Strategy" (NDS), to support and assist human rights defenders, civil society organizations and individual citizens against arbitrary disruptions to the Internet and other electronic communication technologies and indiscriminate surveillance in authoritarian regimes. [1] One of the components of the NDS is the development of a "*European Capability for Situational Awareness*" (ECSA) platform. The purpose of the ECSA platform is to augment EU decision-making capabilities with *reliable* and *real-time* or *almost real-time*information concerning human rights violations and/or restrictions of fundamental freedoms in connection with the digital environment. ECSA would seamlessly aggregate public data from different sources and with innovative visualisation techniques, to provide information on: a) What is happening in the Net, in terms of network connectivity and traffic alterations or restrictions. The platform should integrate and visualize different data sets analysing the "state of the Internet" (nation-, region- or local disconnection, filtering, blocking and other forms of disruptions) in order to allow decision-makers to act upon reliable data concerning the "cyber-geography" of Internet connectivity. b) What is happening on the ground, in terms of human rights, media, legal and policy developments concerning the Internet. The platform should integrate and visualise data sets analysing legal and political developments "on the ground" (e.g. arrests of journalists, crack-downs on local NGOs, etc). We are well aware that there are a number of projects which are working on very similar challenges – and some of these projects might have already developed parts of what the ECSA platform wishes to achieve. Accordingly, the European Commission / DG Communication Networks, Content and Technology would like to invite you to a *workshop* which will take place in *Brussels (Avenue de Beaulieu 25 – Building BU25 – Meeting room 0/S1) on 23 November 2012, from 09:30 to 17:00*, in order to: 1. present and discuss the scope, objectives and "success criteria" of the ECSA platform; 2. present and discuss some of the projects that are working in this field; 3. provide the opportunity for (social) networking and; 4. identify the best way in which the EU can provide *added value* to strengthen on-going activities and achieve the objectives of the ECSA platform, including (where appropriate) via financial support; The workshop is meant to be as informal and operational as possible. If you think you are working on a project that should be presented / discussed during the workshop, please let us know by writing to *Mr* *Andrea Glorioso*( Andrea.Glorioso@ec.europa.eu). The draft agenda of the workshop is attached. The website of the workshop, where we will also publish preparatory material and the reports, will be available shortly. If you wish to participate, please send your *name / family name, nationality and ID / passport number* to *Ms* *Katrin Alfano* ( Katrin.Alfano@ec.europa.eu). Please note that at this point in time the European Commission will not be in a position to reimburse travelling / living expenses for participants or speakers. Should the situation change we will inform you accordingly. *[1] You can find further information on the NDS at http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-11-866_en.htm?locale=en (speech of Vice-President Kroes at the Ministerial Conference on Internet Freedom, 9 December 2012, The Hague) as well as http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neel ie-kroes/ict-human-rights-guidance/ and http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neelie-kroes/eu-fighting-cybercensorship/(updates / further info on the work conducted so far). * * * Best, -- Andrea Glorioso (Mr) European Commission - DG Communication Networks, Content and Technology Unit D1 (International relations) + Task Force on Internet Policy Development Avenue de Beaulieu 25 (4/64) / B-1049 / Brussels / Belgium T: +32-2-29-97682 M: +32-460-797-682 E: Andrea.Glorioso@ec.europa.eu Twitter: @andreaglorioso Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.glorioso LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=1749288&trk=tab_pro The views expressed above are purely those of the writer and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission. 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