La Quadrature has sent letters to three key committees of the EU Parliament urging them to work toward the rejection of the anti-counterfeiting trade agreement, along with its voting recommendations.
On Thursday May 31st, the committees for Legal Affairs (JURI), Civil Liberties (LIBE) and Industry (ITRE) will hold votes on their opinion report on ACTA (learn more about the procedure on ACTA). To have some background on these upcoming votes, see our press release from last week.
La Quadrature has graded the amendments tabled on the LIBE and ITRE report, and put together a shortlist of the key amendments:
As for the JURI report, no amendments were tabled. This pro-ACTA report overlooking crucial facts about the agreement must be rejected.
Every EU citizen can help kill ACTA by calling the members of the committees ahead of their votes.
Letter to LIBE committee
Dear member of the LIBE committee,
On Thursday, you will hold a vote on rapporteur Dimitrios Droutsas’ excellent draft report regarding the impact of the anti-counterfeiting trade agreement (ACTA) on fundamental rights.
Through this vote, you must ensure that the LIBE committee acknowledge the ruthless copyright and patent enforcement embodied by ACTA is a threat for fundamental rights, and that the agreement must therefore be rejected.
As a consequence, we call on you to:
- reject amendments 21, 22, 23, which minimise the lack of safeguards in ACTA or else falsely suggest that ACTA’s dangers can be addresses by the Commission and/or Member States in the course of implementation.
- adopt amendments 42, which calls on the Trade committee to recommend that the Parliament withhold consent to ACTA, as well as amendments 24, 36 which stress the dangers of privatised copyright enforcement and stress the need for a revised approach to copyright enforcement.
You can find La Quadrature du Net’s full voting recommendations on this vote at the following address:
http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/LIBE_ACTA_report_amendmentsWe trust that through your vote you will acknowledge and relay the many criticisms of ACTA coming from citizens, academics, NGOs and EU bodies.
Respectfully,
LQDN
Letter to ITRE committee
Dear member of the ITRE committee,
On Thursday, you will hold a vote on rapporteur Amelia Andersdotter’s excellent draft report regarding the impact of the anti-counterfeiting trade agreement (ACTA) on growth and innovation.
This vote is a unique opportunity for you to make clear that you have heard the voice of the many small businesses and trade associations who have argued that ACTA would favor big right-holders over innovators and creators.
Through this vote, you must ensure that the ITRE committee acknowledge the ruthless and expansive copyright and patent enforcement embodied by ACTA is a threat for a vibrant knowledge economy, and that the agreement must therefore be rejected.
As a consequence, we call on you to:
- reject amendments 32, 39, 40, 41 which minimise the lack of safeguards in ACTA or else refuse to clearly call for a rejection of ACTA.
- adopt amendments 2, 24, 38, which point to some of ACTA’s most important flaws, and urge for a more balanced approach to copyright and patent enforcement.
You can find La Quadrature du Net’s full voting recommendations on this vote at the following address:
http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/ITRE_ACTA_report_amendmentsWe trust that through your vote you will acknowledge and relay the many criticisms of ACTA coming from citizens, academics, NGOs and EU bodies.
Respectfully,
LQDN.
Letter to JURI committee
Dear member of the JURI committee,
On Thursday, your committee will hold a vote on rapporteur Marielle Gallo’s draft opinion report on the Anti-counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
Unsurprisingly, this draft is a fierceful defence of ACTA relying on untransparent assumptions and gross misinterpretations of the agreement, as we pointed in a memo sent last month (memo available here: http://is.gd/RYsoWQ ). In particular, her conclusion that ACTA respects EU law is contradicted by several independent analysis carried on by scholars, NGOs and public institutions, such as most recently the European Data Protection Supervisor (see: http://is.gd/YkqYf3 ).JURI members must oppose Mrs. Gallo’s endorsement of ACTA, a vaguely worded agreement circumventing democratic procedures to push a repressive trend in the field of copyright, patents and trademarks. This agreement would set in stone today’s contentious policies and block any possibility for EU and national lawmakers to propose positive reforms in these fields.
We trust that you will be responsive to the many concerns expressed against ACTA by opposing the rapporteur’s draft report.
Respectfully,
LQDN.