Bonn Ministerial Declaration

Overview
The German government and the European Commission jointly held a Ministerial Conference entitled “Global Information Networks: Realising the Potential” in Bonn in July 1997. The Ministerial Declaration from this Conference stated that:

"Ministers stressed the role which the Private Sector can play in protecting the interests of consumers and in promoting and respecting ethical standards, through properly functioning systems of self-regulation in compliance with and supported by the legal system. Ministers encourage industry to implement open, platform-independent content rating systems and to propose rating services which meet the needs of different users and take account of Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity."