As announced previously, there will be a meeting of the Security Interest Group, Electronic Commerce Interest Group, and Public Policy Interest Group on September 2-4 in Brussels, Belgium. These meetings are being hosted by the European Commission at their offices.
Advance Registration is REQUIRED if you wish to attend.
The meetings will take place at the:
Centre A. Borschette (reception: (+32.2) 295.87.00 or 295.26.59)
rue Froissart 36
1040 Brussels
Meeting Location: 3rd Floor, Rooms 3A and 3B***SPECIAL REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS***
1. Picture identification is required to enter the Centre Borschette (Passport or Driver's License).
2. Also, please print and bring your email confirmation containing your registration number to clear security.We have asked that a set of rooms be set aside at the Dorint Hotel, please fill out the Form if you plan to stay there. Note the deadline for hotel registration is August 22 to receive the discount room rate. Reservations will be accepted after August 22 on a space available basis at the regular room rate.
Dorint Hotel (+32.2) 231.09.09
11-19, Karel de Grotelaan/Boulevard Charlemagne
B- 1000 BrusselsTransportation Details to the Dorint Hotel and Centre Borschette - Map
(The hotel and the Centre Borschette are within ten minutes of each other.)By Taxi
The easiest way to reach the Dorint Hotel and the Centre Borschette from the Brussels (Zaventem) Airport is to take a taxi. The fare should not be more than 1000 BEF (approximately $26). It should take about 25-35 minutes to reach the your destination under normal traffic conditions.
By Train/Taxi
The second option would be to take the train from the ground floor of the Brussels (Zaventem) Airport to Brussels Nord (the North station) or to Brussels Central Station, and then take a taxi to the Dorint Hotel or the Centre Borschette from the train station. This may save a few dollars, but it might take more time.
By Car
At the entrance in Brussels, follow directions to Centrum/Centre, Europese Gemeenschap/Communauté Européenne and stay in the tunnel. At the exit of the tunnel, drive straight on the Avenue Cortenbergh. When you reach the "Rond-Point Schuman," turn round to the square and then take the third street to the right where you are on the rue Froissart.Brussels (Zaventem) Airport Information
General information on Belgium
General information on Brussels
Lodging in Brussels
Each meeting will include a morning of invited presentations and an opportunity for member companies to report on their activities. There will be a lunch designed to promote networking among the attendees and invited guests, and the afternoon will be for member companies to advise W3C on how best to address the issues raised in the morning. A brief synopsis of the meetings is as follows:
Tuesday September 2: Security Interest Group.
The focus will be on certificates and certification infrastructure. We expect to contrast X.509, PGP, and SPKI as well as to discuss the recent issue raised by Ron Rivest and others about the usefulness (or lack thereof) of identity certificates.
Wednesday September 3: Electronic Commerce Interest Group
We have invited members of the European Commission and European Parliament to present their views, in general, on issues of electronic commerce. We have invited technical presentations on micropayments and SmartCards. We will focus the afternoon discussion on the question of "what standards are required to maintain Web interoperability".
Thursday September 4: Public Policy Interest Group.
We have invited members of the European Commission and European Parliament to present their views, in general, on the key public policy questions currently raised by the Web. In addition, we will discuss the role W3C has played (through PICS) in the international discussion on content regulation. We will focus the afternoon discussion on the question of whether this kind of role is appropriate for other technologies, and next steps in the area of educating policy makers about W3C's emerging technologies.
Dress for the meetings is business casual.
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In addition, there will be a dinner (unhosted) on Wednesday September 3 to which all members of the European Parliament are invited as well as selected members of the European Commission. This is intended as a time for issues of all kinds to be discussed in an informal setting. The dinner will be held at the:
Hotel Metropole (+32.2) 217.71.50
31, place de Brouckere
B-1000 Brussels
Dinner Location/Time: The Rubinstein Room, 7:30 pm
Shuttle Bus transportation will be available to and from the Hotel Metropole.
Depart from Hotel Dorint: 7:00 pm.
Depart from Hotel Metropole: Approximately 9:30 pm.
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More information on the Technology and Society Interest Groups
