ACTA anti-counterfeiting deal

MEPs pressure on ACTA yielding results but concerns about agreement remain

The European Commission today briefed MEPs on the current situation in the negotiations on an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) at a debate in the European Parliament plenary session. In the context of the debate, German Green MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht said:

"Pressure from the European Parliament to ensure the ACTA agreement does not go beyond its basic anti-counterfeiting remit is beginning to tell. While the agreement under negotiation clearly remains unsatisfactory, the latest draft text includes a number of improvements, notably the removal of provisions for compulsory sanctions and penalties. These improvements represent a success for the EU Parliament and the Greens in particular.

"The Commission should be under no illusions: as the adoption of yesterday's written declaration (1) shows, MEPs will keep the pressure up until our core concerns are addressed. Specifically, the ACTA agreement must stick to its basic remit of product anti-counterfeiting. This means removing all sections dealing with the internet."

Swedish Greens/EFA MEP and member of the Pirate Party Christian Engstrom added:

"Instead of heeding the serious concerns that have been raised with the ACTA text, it seems that negotiators are seeking to cover up the controversial provisions by using more vague formulations. It remains unclear whether the current ACTA text would open the door for software patents or allow for the blocking of internet access. It is also not clear if the agreement would wrap its tentacles around pharmaceuticals. All these possibilities would be completely unacceptable and go far beyond ACTA's remit. This lack of clarity flies in the face of MEPs' calls for greater transparency in the negotiations. It is unacceptable that the Commission continues to bow to US demands for secrecy in the negotiations, preventing public scrutiny and debate on this potentially far-reaching agreement."

(1) The European Parliament yesterday (7 September) adopted a written declaration on ACTA, following on from a resolution it adopted in March.