E-MEP Visits the States

12.00.00am GMT Sat 18th Dec 1999

Diana Wallis, Lib Dem Euro-MP for Yorkshire and the Humber, is visiting Washington this week to discuss Electronic Commerce with various interested parties in the USA.

As a prominent member of the European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market, which is preparing a report on E-Commerce and the EU, Diana is quickly gaining a reputation as Britain's very own E-MEP.

Diana has already met Senator Wyden, who has a specific interest in E-Commerce in the States, as well as a group called the Internet Alliance - business leaders and Internet service providers who are lobbying the US Government and the EU.

Today, Monday, she will be meeting the US State Department, the US Department for Commerce, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission. She will also be meeting people from IBM, Microsoft and AOL later this week.

Commenting on her trip so far, Diana said:

"Every time you open a newspaper in America, people are talking about E-Commerce.

"Trade over the Internet has a very bright and profitable future, and opens up a world of opportunities to small businesses from Yorkshire to Utah.

"It is very important that the European Union gets its E-Commerce policy right. I am here in the US to look at how they are doing things.

"Because of the importance of the EU to businesses over here, I find even myself being lobbied left right and centre."