Isn't it inevitable that this will -- for the same reasons of equity among the member countries -- evolve into a single set of laws governing the *use* of crypto throughout the EC?

Probably. But perhaps not for private citizens, but for police, bank, government interaction. Since they opened the borders between the countries they really have a problem. In some towns near to France they have robberies, where the robbers just walk 300 meters to France and can't be caught neither by german nor by french police. At the moment we have a some criminal nazis. (we already had the discussion). They use BBS, Fax and cryptosoftware for their national and international communication. In Italy they have islands with more fax-machines than humans. Could be reason enough for prohibition.

Can you provide any predictions as to its content?

No.

It seems to me that the EC may be a *huge* force -- for good or ill -- with respect to crypto, depending on which way the rules fall out.

It _is_ a huge force. But often more ill than good. :-( They have taken the germans their pretty large, well-tasting and cheap bananas and given them ugly, dark-brown, tiny, expensive ones. Perhaps they will do the same with cryptography. :-{

In the first place, because of the sheer size of the EC and the combined power and populace of its member countries, but also because any internal crypto advantage the EC is perceived to hold might be an additional spur to liberalization of US crypto export policy.

Smile. As long as the US keep their policy, we have a better market. I like the US policy. :-D Hadmut