Brussels, 21/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 21 April, the countries party to the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) - Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, the United States and the EU - published, as announced in Wellington last week (see EUROPE 10120), the consolidated text of the 8th round of ACTA negotiations. “This text shows that the overall objective of ACTA is to address large-scale infringements of intellectual property rights which have a significant economic impact. ACTA will by no means lead to a limitation of civil liberties or to 'harassment' of consumers,” the European Commission said in a press release. “I am very glad that the EU convinced its partners to release the negotiation text. It makes clear what ACTA is really about: it will provide our industry and creators with better protection in overseas markets which is essential for business to thrive. It will not have a negative impact on European citizens,” said Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht. The Commission states that the ACTA will be fully in line with current EU legislation. This means that it is limited to the enforcement of intellectual property rights, the Commission goes on. The agreement will not include provisions which modify substantive intellectual property law, create new rights or change their duration. It will set minimum rules on how innovators and creators can enforce their rights in courts, at borders or over the internet. “The negotiation draft shows that specific concerns, raised in particular by the civil society, are unfounded. No party in the ACTA negotiation is proposing that governments should introduce a compulsory '3 strikes' or 'gradual response' rule to fight copyright infringements and internet piracy. Similarly, ACTA will not hamper access to generic medicines,” the Commission points out. The consolidated text may be found at: http: //trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2010/april/tradoc_146029.pdf
Attempt to bring transparency, but still fails to legitimise ACTA, Greens say
Publication of the consolidated agreement text on the ACTA is the result of pressure brought to bear by civil liberties and civil society organisations in the countries party to the agreement. In the EU, the European Parliament was particularly vociferous (see EUROPE 10095 and 10096). However, for the Greens Group in the European Parliament, these beginnings of transparency still do not legitimise the ACTA. “This is a clear victory for democracy, but it is only a first step. These beginnings of transparency does not legitimise a method of negotiation which continues to be conducted outside any institutional framework and with no legislative control any more than it legitimises a process that should be carried on within existing international institutions. The very content of the ACTA, which seeks disproportionately to implement intellectual property, is worrying. It threatens access to generic medicines, access to knowledge, and public and digital freedoms. These are issues which are too important to be discussed outside the public arena and which deserve genuine parliamentary debate,” said Sandrine Bélier (France) in a press release. (E.H./transl.rt)