The European Commission (EC) has called on member states to step up their efforts to fight spam, spyware and other malicious software and prosecute more online offences.

Viviane Reding, commissioner for Information Society and Media, pointed out that despite the existence of EU legislation outlawing spam, much of the problem comes from within its boundaries. She cited figures from security firms revealing that almost a third of relayed spam was sent from within Europe, and that spam still accounts for up to 85 percent of emails.

As a result of the continuing problem, more anti-spam laws could be on the cards. “In line with EU legislation outlawing spam, the Dutch authorities have managed to cut domestic spam by 85 percent - I’d like to see other countries achieving similar results through more efficient enforcement,” Reding said. “I will revisit this issue again next year to see whether additional legislative measures against spam are required.”

The EC released a Communication on spam, outlining its concerns and proposed actions to reduce the spam problem. Proposals include member states ensuring adequate resources for their national enforcement authorities; software vendors making sure their customers are aware of the inclusion of monitoring devices in software downloads; and service providers making more use of email filters.

The EC plans to revisit the legislative framework and introduce proposals to improve user privacy and security next year. These could include obliging service providers to report security breaches that led to personal data losses.