European Parliament All But Rejects ACTA 248
An anonymous reader writes "European Parliament today adopted Written Declaration 12/2010 which basically tells the Commission to all but drop the negotiations. From the article: 'Citizens from all around Europe helped to raise awareness about ACTA among Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) by collecting, one by one, more than 369 [of the MEPs'] signatures. With Written Declaration 12/20103, the European Parliament as a whole takes a firm position to oppose the un-democratic process of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), and its content harmful to fundamental freedoms and the Internet ecosystem.'"
Re:369? (Score:5, Informative)
Really? They couldn't be bothered to count more than 369 signatures?
There are 736 Members of the European Parliament [wikipedia.org]. 369 is a majority.
Further details... (Score:5, Informative)
The 369 signatories (377 now) are all MEPs (members of the European Parliament). 369 is significant because it is a majority of the eligible votes.
The linked page is just one of the relevant pages - you have to follow the links on the left to get at the rest. Here's a couple of interesting pages:
http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Written_Declaration_12/2010_signatories_list [laquadrature.net]
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/ACTA [laquadrature.net]
All but a formal final rejection (Score:5, Informative)
WTF does "all but drop" mean? If you look at it grammatically, it means "to do everything but drop", which is the opposite of what the submitter implied.
"All But Rejects" in the headline indicated to me that the European Parliament had expressed its disapproval in every way short of a formal final rejection.
Just empty talk (Score:2, Informative)
Unfortunately, the EU Parliament is a pitiful powerless entity and "Written Declarations" are just words without substance. The EU Parliament site describes what a Written Declaration is: (http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/plenary/writtenDecl.do)
"A written declaration is a text of a maximum of 200 words on a matter falling within the European Union's sphere of activities.
Written declarations are printed in all the official languages, distributed and entered in a register.
MEPs can use written declarations to launch or relaunch a debate on a subject that comes within the EU's remit."
Nothing to see here my friends, the real power stays with the EU Commission.
Re:Source? (Score:4, Informative)
Try this [europa.eu] and search for ACTA in the title. The document in question is here [europa.eu] (pdf). Note that the status is ONGOING but that tomorow is the lapse date.
Re:All but ? (Score:2, Informative)
I had to look it up to, it seems to be correct English:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/all+but [thefreedictionary.com]
Re:good (Score:4, Informative)
Re:369? (Score:3, Informative)
The target was 369, a majority. The current total is 377.
Re:So, can I sigh in relief now? (Score:5, Informative)
In my understanding yes the parliament now have more power to reject the commission, but it can't really stop what the commission is doing until there's a proposal on the table. This is as I understand it mostly a statement of intent that they will, because the way it's been handled.
What is likely to happen is that the commission will propose something, have it rejected, revise it again, get rejected again ad infinitum. They've been known to fight wars of attrition - or failing that - slowly giving in to demands until it finally passes with a small margin.
Long story short, I believe eventually they will pass some form of ACTA, but hopefully most of the bad bits will be gone by then.
Re:369? (Score:4, Informative)
There are 736 Members of the European Parliament [wikipedia.org]. 369 is a majority.
It won't be when Microsoft gets done with it.
Re:All but a formal final rejection (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Wait, what? (Score:4, Informative)
The European Parliament is usually a reliable entity with good sense. That's why there are so many rulings that allow the hateful non-elected European Commission to go over their heads in many issues. I wouldn't be surprised if the EC just ignores the Parliament and signs an agreement with the US to apply ACTA here.
After all, it's presided by a jerk called Barroso, that went from Maoist troublemaker in the 70s to free-market right-wing super-bureaucrat. He avidly supported the invasion of Iraq when he was the Portuguese Prime Minister and licked Bush's ass until his mouth turned brown. Strangely he was rewarded a job as head of the Commision in spite of being a spineless ass-licker that embarrassed and ashamed us Europeans, and specially us Portuguese.
Another ass-licker, Tony Blair, nearly won the job of President of European Council, but this time the outrage was too much for the Euro Dickhead Bureaucrats to sweep under the rug.
Re:About Fucking Time (Score:5, Informative)
Opera is based in Norway. Norway isn't part of the EU.
Re:About Fucking Time (Score:3, Informative)
You really never noticed there's no posting & modding at the same time here?...
Re:About Fucking Time (Score:3, Informative)
Firefox is the #2 browser in Europe.
http://blog.mozilla.com/metrics/2009/03/19/what-is-firefoxs-market-share/ [mozilla.com]
http://www.atinternet-institute.com/en-us/browsers-barometer/firefox-march-2007/index-1-2-3-77.html [atinternet-institute.com]
Re:Now just watch (Score:3, Informative)
Power in the EU is not with the parliament, but with the commission
Actually the most powerful body in the EU is the Council of Ministers, which made up of serving European government ministers and very much in the euro-driving seat in recent years.
However, the European Parliament does have the power to reject or amend international trade agreements, which ACTA would appear to be.
Re:Just empty talk (Score:5, Informative)
1. The EC submits the draft.
2. If the EP accepts, it's passed. Otherwise...
3. The EP rejects the draft and gives the EC a list of things they want changed.
4. The EC submits a new version of the draft.
5. If the EP accepts, it's passed. Otherwise...
6. The EC can try to reconcile with the EP and figure out a shared draft. If this fails...
7. The draft is dead and can't be resubmitted.
I think the EC could try to start a war of attrition with the EP but that could end with the EP just veoting anything looking remotely like IP legislation until the EC shuts up.
Re:Wait, what? (Score:3, Informative)
Also even if voter turnout was 34%, I would call 34% a democratic mandate. Nothing stopped the hypothetical 66% from not voting, and their abstinence is impartiality.
Re:Now just watch (Score:3, Informative)
The EU Parliament can still overrule the Council of Ministers with a 2/3 majority vote and history has shown that they're willing and able to do so when the COM try and go against them on big issues.
Re:Wow, really impressed (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Now just watch (Score:5, Informative)
Power in the EU is not with the parliament, but with the commission.
This used to be the case, but is not true [wikipedia.org] anymore, for almost a year now [wikipedia.org].