FiCom’s Managing Director Elina Ussa elected to EuroISPA board

The members of EuroISPA, a pan European organization of European Internet Services Providers Associations, represent more than 2,000 service providers in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Great Britain.

Elina Ussa, Managing Director of FiCom, became the first Finn to join EuroISPA’s board at the general assembly held in Brussels on November 24, 2022. The organization chose Alex de Joode, representing the Dutch AMS-IX, as its chairman for 2023.

EuroISPA is the world’s largest association of Internet Services Providers (ISPs). The association was established in 1997 to represent the European ISP industry on EU policy and legislative issues and to facilitate the exchange of best practices between national ISP associations. Its secretariat is in Brussels.

“It is estimated that up to 80 % of the legislation in the field originates from the EU. It is important to be closely involved in influencing various legislative projects as early as possible. EuroISPA’s excellent lobbying is wide-ranging. It’s great to get the opportunity to be in its core, and to bring expertise from Finland, the Europe’s leading country in digital development”, says Elina Ussa.

EuroISPA has several committees focusing on different areas, and the general meeting also decided on their chairs. FiCom’s lawyer Asko Metsola was elected chair of the Innovation and Growth committee, whose key topics include e.g. the implementation of the Copyright Directive and geo-blocking and the territorial dimension of the single market. In addition, Metsola represents EuroISPA at European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) Observatory working group.

“Balanced copyright is essential to the development of digital business and the EU internal market. Sharing views with European colleagues is fruitful for defining common guidelines,” says Asko Metsola.

EuroISPA board 2023

President:
Alex de Joode, AMS-IX, the Netherlands

Vice-President:
Michel Combot, Fédération Française des Télécoms, France

Treasurer:
Thomas Bihlmayer, eco – Verband der Internetwirtschaft e. V., Germany

Board member:
Elina Ussa, FiCom, Finland