The recent announcement from the EU Council of Ministers on 10 October has created a good deal of discussion around what the new prescription for stricter consumer rights in the 27 EU countries means for marketers. There has even been dialogue in the email marketing space around what the new directive means for pre-checked opt-in boxes on Web forms.

Regardless of how strict or lenient your interpretation of the new requirements, the introduction of tougher regulations will benefit not only consumers, but also savvy marketers. Read that last sentence again if you are a bit perplexed—savvy marketers will benefit from tighter regulations and stricter technology such as “intelligent inboxes” and improved spam filters.

In a world of overflowing inboxes, buzzing mobiles and social network newsfeeds filled with brand messages, only the marketers that focus on meeting consumer demands and better engaging with them will succeed. And whether through new regulations, fines and penalties, or new technologies that make irrelevant email marketing less effective, the entire industry will benefit from these changes.

As you navigate through the myriad of new regulations coming in the United Kingdom and the broader EU countries, here are some quick thoughts on how you can “legislation-proof” your email marketing programme for the future: