Brussels, 08/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, 7 April 2015, more than 45 organisations from eight European countries published an open letter opposing the European directive on trade secrets. The signatories include the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Wikileaks, the Syndicat des avocats de France and the Italian general labour confederation (CGIL).
First of all, the signatories state that there are “several issues with the legislation that are worrying”, in particular the “wide and vague” definition of trade secrets, which “applies to all confidential information”. Secondly, they express concern at the fact that infringements will be considered to have been committed “as soon as information is disclosed, with no regard to the way it is being used for what purpose”.
The letter goes on to object to the fact that the draft is not a matter for European social dialogue, despite its possible effects on employees' rights. The directive could indeed be used to impose non-competition clauses on employees and would also limit the access of union members to information regarding plans to sell, transfer or relocate the company, etc.
Lastly, the signatories stress that in the event of legal proceedings, the European directive provides for restricted access to the files or hearings, which they feel would constitute a “serious threat to equality before the law”. (Jean Comte)