EP rapporteur recommends scrapping ACTA

David Martin, European Parliament rapporteur for ACTA, has recommended that the international agreement on internet piracy should not be accepted in the EU. "The potential threat to civil liberties contained in this agreement far outweigh the benefits that it intends to achieve," said Martin in a recommendation to the Committee on International Trade of the European Parliament. EP rapporteur recommends scrapping ACTA Explaining his negative appraisal, Martin referred to the "lack of clarity in some aspects of the text and the uncertainty about its application", and emphasized the intended role of ISPs, criminalization of individual internet users, and the ability that it could disrupt the transit of generic drugs. Because of this, "the European Parliament cannot guarantee adequate protection of civil rights in the future," if ACTA were adopted. According to the rapporteur, "international agreements dealing with any aspect of criminal sanctions, online activity or intellectual property must clearly define the scope of its operations, as well as the protection of individual freedoms in order to avoid unintended interpretations of the agreement." The European Parliament will decide in June on the fate of the agreement, which has been negotiationed among the most developed Western countries without sufficient public presence for years. After ACTA was signed in January by 22 countries of the European Union, protests broke out across the continent, resulting in the freezing of the ratification or temporary decision to desist from signing the agreement by nine member states, among them Germany. In order for ACTA to be enforced in the European Union it must pass in the European Parliament. Previous European Parliament rapporteur Kader Arif resigned in protest shortly after the January signing of ACTA in Tokyo, saying that the deal "went too far." A scene from an anti-ACTA protest (Tanjug, file) Beta

EP rapporteur recommends scrapping ACTA

Explaining his negative appraisal, Martin referred to the "lack of clarity in some aspects of the text and the uncertainty about its application", and emphasized the intended role of ISPs, criminalization of individual internet users, and the ability that it could disrupt the transit of generic drugs.

Because of this, "the European Parliament cannot guarantee adequate protection of civil rights in the future," if ACTA were adopted.

According to the rapporteur, "international agreements dealing with any aspect of criminal sanctions, online activity or
intellectual property must clearly define the scope of its operations, as well as the protection of individual freedoms in order to avoid unintended interpretations of the agreement."

The European Parliament will decide in June on the fate of the agreement, which has been negotiationed among the most developed Western countries without sufficient public presence for years.

After ACTA was signed in January by 22 countries of the European Union, protests broke out across the continent, resulting in the freezing of the ratification or temporary decision to desist from signing the agreement by nine member states, among them Germany.

In order for ACTA to be enforced in the European Union it must pass in the European Parliament.

Previous European Parliament rapporteur Kader Arif resigned in protest shortly after the January signing of ACTA in Tokyo, saying that the deal "went too far."