By Martin Banks - 9th February 2012
Veteran Scottish MEP David Martin has been appointed rapporteur for the parliamentary report on the controversial anti-counterfeiting trade agreement (ACTA), saying he will "not be rushed" on the dossier.
The agreement on copyright and IP protection needs parliament's consent before it can come into force. ACTA aims at strengthening the global enforcement of intellectual property rights.
Martin, an S&D member, takes over from his French party colleague Kader Arif who stepped down in protest on 26 January at what he believed attempts were to rush through the legislation without proper public consultation.
Arif said, "I want to send a strong signal and alert the public opinion about this unacceptable situation. I will not take part in this masquerade."
The agreement is a legal framework for targeting counterfeit goods, generic medicines and infringement of copyright on the internet. But critics say that in its current form it could amount to an infringement of fundamental rights.
It has been ratified by 22 member states but Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands and Slovakia are yet to sign.
A petition opposing ACTA has been signed by 1.75 million people and an EU-wide day of action is due to be held on Saturday.
The US has signed it but China and Russia are yet to do so.
ACTA has been backed by Neelie Kroes, the EU commissioner for the digital agenda, who denied that it will limit freedom, saying, "It is important for people to understand all the facts. Nothing changes for individual users in the EU."
Her comments were endorsed by Danish trade and investment minister Pia Olsen-Dyhr, whose country is the current holder of the EU presidency. She said, "Companies cannot survive without effective protection of their rights both in Denmark and elsewhere."
Speaking this week after his appointment, Martin said, "I want parliament to have a facts-based discussion and not a debate around myths. That is why I want to have an open debate with all actors concerned.
"ACTA is meant to be about better enforcement of existing copyright and intellectual property rights through international cooperation," he said.
"ACTA should not change existing European law in this area. I will be going through the text thoroughly and take legal advice, including through the European Court of Justice if necessary, to ensure that ACTA respects the existing body of EU law.
"I will not be rushed and will be open and transparent in my deliberations."
Meanwhile, S&D group leader Hannes Swoboda has voiced concern about the agreement, branding the current text "too vague".
His comments come after a group meeting on the issue on Thursday.
Parliament's committee on international trade will hold a first exchange of views on the agreement on 29 February and a public hearing will be organised on 1 March.
Swoboda said, "Our group strongly supports the fight against counterfeiting goods. This is not only detrimental to industry and jobs but also to consumers.
"There is a need for greater international cooperation but we question whether ACTA would be the right tool to achieve this, particularly as several relevant countries such as China and India would not be included.
"Our main criticism relates to copyright enforcement on the internet and the definition and monitoring of activities online. The text is too vague and we need to have clarification of the role of internet service providers (ISPs) in policing the agreement.
"We understand the genuine concerns voiced by stakeholders and citizens. Therefore, we will organise a series of round tables to discuss the impact of this agreement and its compatibility with EU law in greater detail.
"Since parliament can only say yes or no and we cannot amend the text, we as a group might not be able to approve the agreement."
