Net neutrality was a hot topic for discussion when Swedish EBU Members participated in the fifth European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG), in Stockholm.

Mats Svegfors, Director General of EBU Member Swedish Radio (SR), said the public sphere "had changed partly as a result of developments on the web."

Mr Svegfors made his comments during a panel discussion involving the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorben Jagland, and Swedish Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt.

Mr Svegfors told the meeting, "Net neutrality is vital to democracy. The earlier picture of only one democratic public sphere, where all citizens met, was vastly oversimplified. Narrow economic interests and a fundamentalist attitude towards copyright can present insurmountable obstacles for future integrated publication."

In response, Mr Jagland spoke out against the rise of government intervention over the Internet which, he warned, "could endanger respect of fundamental rights."

Neelie Kroes, who is Vice President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda for Europe, promised delegates that the EU would take "a tougher position to guarantee a safer internet for all."

The Queen of Sweden voiced support for Ms Kroes' comments as she addressed the issue of children's online security.

The EBU is a key organiser of the EuroDIG conference, along with the Council of Europe, OFCOM Switzerland,  telecom authority PTS and the Swedish government.

EuroDIG was established in 2008 with support from the Council of Europe and other stakeholders, following the commissioning of the Internet Governance Forum by the Secretary General of the United Nations in 2006.

For more information please visit:  http://www.eurodig.org/eurodig2012/programme/workshops/workshop-6 and http://www.coe.int/20120614-eurodig

Top: Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorben Jagland, addresses the conference