ACTA leaks - but secret squirrel stays secret Just who is the bad apple at the ACTA negotiations, excluding the public and forcing discussions between the parties to be held in secret? Not us, says the EU, which has come in for some stick of late – not least from Pirate Party MEP Christian Engstroem - for its refusal to allow MEPs to disseminate anything from the talks …
Nobody is "bound to continue to respect the confidential nature of negotiations until all parties agree to the greater transparency that the European Commission is seeking".
If the negotiations on the future shape of the laws that govern us cannot be carried on in an open manner, consistent with democratic principles, then the EU - indeed all democratic parties - should walk away from the table, and refuse to implement anything based on what the remaining lobbyists and undemocrats produce.
If it's really that important, it's important to do it democratically and openly, so that all voices can be represented - not just corporate lobbyists.
After all, they don't deny it.
Also, if the EU is all for openness, why don't they simply veto all proposals whilst under a shroud of secrecy?
Good job there's more than one person privy to the secrets, kinda guarantees they'll be public knowledge fairly soon after.
Penguin? I could really do with a choccy biccy right now...
Who has the most to hide? The representative from Disney, er, the U.S. of course. The film and music beggars in the U.S. are so far up the dems (and repub for that matter, same freaking thing) asses our Vice President is running around trying to convince everyone that "counterfeiting" and "copyright infringement" are the same thing.
I hate corporate aligned police states.
P.S. please do not export the Digital Economy bs. Thanks
Bloody Australians/Canadians/Europeans/Japanese/Koreans/Mexicans/Moroccans/New Zealanders/Singaporeans/Swiss/US* - how dare they!! We should declare war on them immediately in case they release their weapons of mass stupidity! Where are Blair & Bush when you need their humanitarian insight in these troubled times!
(* select/delete as applicable)
Meh, whatever...
"Europe is just one of the parties to the negotiation. The right to publicly release documents and information needs the consent of all parties."
EU girl - it is really simple. As the results of any ACTA agreement will likely affect us all, with out lawmakers and such getting on board a global agreement that WE the people did NOT agree with or disagree to, the progress of ACTA is very obviously in the public interest (and, in typical EU fashion, should be put to referendum).
Thus, it makes sense for the EU to say this whole secrecy aspect needs to be dropped, and we're NOT taking part in any more discussion until this is so.
Actions speak a hell of a lot louder than "it wasn't us", and to wimp out with that means you kinda don't mind the whole secrecy thing, or you'd sprout a pair and stand up for what is in the interests of your 21 member states and 501 million citizens (which is considerably more than the US's 309 million). Our per capitas are lower, but combined EuroZone GDP is higher.
So, EU, who's pushing who around? Take a step back and say ACTA can be debated in a proper democratic fashion, or not at all.
the Daily Fails runs a story about America imposing its law over us. It would certainly make a change from them banging on about Europe beating up British Sausages and the man in the street.
opps sorry back in the real world they are too busy trying to close the BBC so they can start charging for access to their own news websites.
Given the Australian government's love of keeping things secret from voters and the fact that it considers public debate of contentious issues "unnecessary", I'd be more inclined to blame them for the secrecy blanket than the US. After all, if it WAS the US, they would have denied it outright.
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