Law360, New York (April 10, 2017, 11:15 AM EDT) -- Aside from Brexit, the outlook in Europe is focused on harmony and unity, measures well reflected in the Digital Single Market initiative. As part of this initiative, the European Commission recently published a proposed Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications. The regulation is aimed at creating a harmonious pan-European approach to e-privacy, replacing the current directive with a directly effective regulation designed to address the complexities of privacy in the age of social media and networked computing; to simplify and clarify the EU approach to the use of cookies and data harvesting; and to align e-privacy with the data protection principles enshrined in the General Data Protection Regulation, and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Ultimately, the commission hopes that the proposed regulation will increase the protection of individuals' private lives, open up opportunities for new businesses and simplify and streamline current rules on cookies, which should result in greater trust and security in the Digital Single Market....