News
BackIt is now official: after five committees of the European Parliament have already recommended to the plenum to reject the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement ACTA, this week, the plenary session of the Parliament has finally voted against the agreement. This is a heavy defeat for EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, who right to the end tried to lobby for support for ACTA.
During a plenary vote of the European Parliament this week in Strasbourg, a clear majority of MEPs rejected ACTA. 478 of the representatives voted against ACTA, only 39 voted in favour of the agreement and 165 abstained.
The rejection of the European Parliament means that ACTA cannot be implemented in any of the 27 EU Member States.
In particular the ambiguous wording in the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was cause of criticism. This could have opened a floodgate for the introduction of measures such as the monitoring of internet users and internet access blocks. From the point of view of the AK, the rejection of ACTA now clears the way for an overhaul of the copyright law.
The rejection of the European Parliament means that ACTA cannot be implemented in any of the 27 EU Member States.
In particular the ambiguous wording in the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was cause of criticism. This could have opened a floodgate for the introduction of measures such as the monitoring of internet users and internet access blocks. From the point of view of the AK, the rejection of ACTA now clears the way for an overhaul of the copyright law.