back to article Euro Parliament threatens court action over ACTA secrecy

The European Parliament has threatened to take the European Commission to the EU's highest court if it does not disclose the details of a secret international copyright treaty. The Parliament has voted by an overwhelming majority to adopt a resolution demanding that the Commission limit the scope of the proposed treaty and …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. The Fuzzy Wotnot
    Thumb Up

    Stop worrying

    Why worry, I'm sure Wikileaks will have a copy up very soon!

  2. Usko Kyykka

    Eventually ...

    ... it will be really interesting to see what exactly merits the "ACTA" level of secrecy and underhandedness [and who and why thinks so] .

  3. Number6

    Wrong Answer

    The EU Commission will just tell MEPs to go and vote a second time and expect them to get it right, allowing the commission to continue in secret.

  4. Grahame 2
    FAIL

    UKIP?

    Hmm.. Seems the main block of votes against (supporting the commission in the secrecy) was from the UK... UKIP in fact.

    I wonder if they knew what they where voting for, our they were just voting the opposite way to everyone else.. cos they're rebels.. yeaaah!

    http://votewatch.eu/cx_vote_details.php?id_act=456&lang=en

    Sad.

  5. g e

    Simple, innit

    Forcibly take control of all companies involved in the negotiations and sieze their assets.

    Then give your electorate a tax-free year while you burn through the company's money in lieu, releasing its IP into the public domain.

    ... and then I awoke

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm backing the MEPs

    Barosso's EU Commission has been a fuzzy compromise one. Whatever any state wanted he basically let them have. Intrusive surveillance laws, money controls, protectionism, anti-foreigner laws, internal EU data handed to foreign powers, pre-registration before travel, Biometrics. You name it, he approved it!

    IMHO he is an anti-citizen asshole.

    I note they've chosen an EU President of similar nature, someone who won't defend EU citizens, instead preferring an easy life. So the whole EU Council is likewise a write-off I suspect.

    That leaves the EU Parliament, and they seem to behave like they have a duty to the EU people. I can see a democratic government built around such people, whereas I can see the *Kremlin* built around the other two institutions.

    So I'm with the MEPs on this.

  7. irish donkey
    Stop

    Mind you own business

    and we will mind ours. We will let you know when you have broken our rules and subsuquently let you know about.

    oh and we are arranging that we all issue suitable large fines for when you break our rules.

    Isn't it funny the way a foreign parliament is doing more to protect us that our own Government.

  8. Alien Doctor 1.1

    spectACT(A)ular

    Once again a part of the EU is doing more for us and our rights (over big bizness) than our own gubbermint does (or would even consider).

    I lub you EP.

  9. Eddie Edwards
    Thumb Up

    The resolution itself

    The resolution itself is here:

    http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P7-TA-2010-0058&language=EN&ring=P7-RC-2010-0154

    It says quite a lot more than is reported here.

  10. WheresWardy
    WTF?

    Europe?

    The European Parliament is threatening to take the European Commission to the European Union's highest court? I should probably know the exact differences between these three so that I don't think that this is a bureaucratic nightmare...

    1. Fazal Majid

      EU in a nutshell

      Think of the EU as the US. The European Parliament is like the US House of Representatives, i.e. the Legislative Branch. The European Council is the executive (think of a committee of all states' governors acting as the US President). The European Commission is like the cabinet and agencird in the Executive Branch.

      Congress has sued the Executive Branch before, most recently to obtain Dick Cheney's records. The European Parliament does not have the power of the purse as Congress does, but its powers were increased by the Lisbon treaty, and it is now flexing its muscles.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    I'm really starting to like these guys....

    ...Can we abolish the House Of Lords and swap them for these guys.....

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Here's an idea

    Shove the ACTA up the content mafia's collective ass and keep it there.

  13. DavCrav

    Mandybill...

    "Why worry, I'm sure Wikileaks will have a copy up very soon!"

    And then of course, once this stupid bill gets passed, Britons won't be able to access WIkileaks...

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    Who were the 13 who voted against?

    And exactly whose interests are they representing?

    1. Grahame 2

      the 13

      Mainly UKIP, they were either against democratic scrutiny, or weren’t really paying attention. I doubt they are representing anyone, just there to pick up cheques.

      William (The Earl of) DARTMOUTH - UK (UK Independence Party)

      John Stuart AGNEW - UK (UK Independence Party)

      Marta ANDREASEN - UK (UK Independence Party)

      Gerard BATTEN - UK (UK Independence Party)

      Louis BONTES - NL (Partij voor de Vrijheid)

      John BUFTON - UK (UK Independence Party)

      Trevor COLMAN - UK (UK Independence Party)

      Nigel FARAGE - UK (UK Independence Party)

      Mike NATTRASS - UK (UK Independence Party)

      Paul NUTTALL - UK (UK Independence Party)

      Nicole SINCLAIRE - UK (UK Independence Party)

      Laurence J.A.J. STASSEN - NL (Partij voor de Vrijheid)

      Daniël van der STOEP - NL (Partij voor de Vrijheid)

      1. Lars Silver badge
        Unhappy

        Independence Party

        They must have had some independence party the previous night and missed the whole point.

        Of course, Party names can also be a bit screwed (National Socialist, Workers and so forth).

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    If they keep this up ....

    ... I may have to become a Europhile!

    EU Parliament grows a pair ... meanwhile UK Parliament have theirs removed by unelected ... you can fill in the rest.

  16. Chris007
    Big Brother

    He nearly said it right

    "Whereas intellectual property is important to society and must be protected, it should not be placed above individuals' fundamental rights to privacy and data protection," said EDPS Peter Hustinx

    should have been

    "Whereas intellectual property is important to society and must be protected, it MUST NEVER be placed above individuals' fundamental rights to privacy and data protection," said EDPS Peter Hustinx

    But still a good stab

  17. Trevor Pott o_O Gold badge

    EU grows a pair...

    ...and saves the rest of the world from our corrupt governments.

    Hallefrackinglujah; it's about damned time.

  18. Richard Porter
    Go

    So that's why..

    the Tories were kicking up such a fuss about the Lisbon treaty! They were frightened that it might just give MEPs a bit of power so they wanted it thrown out on anti-European sentiment. The fact thet nobody had read or understood the treaty was an advantage. If people studied it they might actually agree with a lot of it.

  19. Mike VandeVelde
    Pint

    3 cheers for the EU!

    For taking over where the Canadian parliament left off... thought about starting... isn't even aware anything is happening.

    Does anyone remember the Multilateral Agreement on Investment?

    What do you suppose they will try next?

    The Global Regulatory Framework for the Protection of Corporate Rights to Profit?

This topic is closed for new posts.