ACTA resolution failed

The resolution on ACTA was narrowly defeated

The European Parliament just narrowly failed to adopt a joint resolution demanding that the Commission should clarify and assess the consequences of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement ACTA. The numbers were 306 in favour, 322 against, and 26 abstentions.

The resolution had been put forward by the Green group (including the Pirate Party), the Social Democrats, the Liberals and the Left.

A resolution from the Green group (where I was one of the co-signatories) was also defeated.

Instead, an alternative resolution by the Christian Democrat group EPP and the Conservative group was carried. This resolution basically welcomes what the negotiators have been doing so far, without placing any specific demands on the Commission for further clarifications or assessments.

This was a defeat, but it is far from the final word on the issue. The resolution has no formal effect at all, but is merely an expression of how the Parliament feels.

The deciding vote will (probably) be some time early next year, when the Parliament will be asked to give its consent to the agreement. If we get a no vote then, the agreement will be scrapped.

The vote today was a reminder that we will have to continue working hard to get more information on the effects on ACTA so that the European Parliament can make an informed decision in the final consent vote.

The site Act-On-Acta.eu is continuously updated with news about what is happening, and information about what you can do to help.

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Update: Corrected the link to the joint resolution

Andra som skriver on ACTA: Henrik Alexandersson, ACTA-bloggen, Vänsterpartiet, Laquadrature du net, netzpolitik (tyska), SvD

Tags: piratpartiet, eu, politik, informationspolitik