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Nationalist MEPs: ACTA directed at large-scale criminals, not private internet users
Simon Busuttil and David Casa say they won't support ACTA without assurance that it does not create undue restrictions for internet users.
31 January 2012, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Nationalist MEPs Simon Busuttil and David Casa.
Nationalist MEPs Simon Busuttil and David Casa have defended their voting record on a resolution in the European Parliament on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, saying they supported "a more balanced version outlining the same concerns adopted by the EP".
The EPP-backed resolution was passed on the same day another resolution, tabled by socialists, greens and liberals, called for better safeguards against the invasion of privacy and censorship of the internet through ACTA. The resolution was defeated by a majority led by the European People's Party.
Busuttil and Casa today said the position of Labour MEPs (S&D) on ACTA was "clearly the result of a knee-jerk reaction to public opinion whilst being ostensibly oblivious to the facts at hand."
Facebook users are mobilising for a protest on Saturday, 11 February against ACTA, which was signed by the Maltese government on 26 January as part of the EU bloc.
Busuttil and Casa said that in November 2010 two resolutions were put to a vote. "The one supported by Labour MEPs did not garner sufficient backing and was rejected, while a more balanced version outlining the same concerns was adopted by the EP during that plenary.
"However, it is clear that there are widespread misconceptions circulating the internet on this agreement. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement is directed at large-scale criminals and not private internet users. In addition, we definitely agree that international cooperation against counterfeiting and piracy should be stepped up because this will enhance European competiveness and innovation and will protect jobs in Malta, in this growing sector," the MEPs said in a statement.
The MEPs reiterated that the European Commission has given repeated, detailed and written assurances that individual internet users will not be restricted in any way.
"Moreover, the Legal Services of the European Parliament have also concluded that ACTA do not breach fundamental freedoms. When the final vote on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement ACT is voted upon in the European Parliament this June, we will only support it if we are assured that it does not create undue restrictions for internet users," Busuttil and Casa said.
The finance ministry has insisted that ACTA - the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement signed by the Maltese government as part of the EU bloc - will "not censor websites and has nothing to do with how individual citizens use the internet."
Labour's three MEPs have joined the popular swell of discontent against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, saying they were consistently against the treaty as negotiated by EU governments, including Malta's.
Labour said the negotiated version of ACTA impinged upon fundamental liberties, and the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament, together with the Liberal Democrats and the European Greens, had moved a resolution to protect citizens' interests with amendments to ACTA.
The European People's Party, including Nationalist MEPs Simon Busuttil and David Casa, had voted against the resolution.
"This resolution states that there is serious concern and demands that the non-transparent negotiations are stopped," Labour said in a statement.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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I for one do not believe a single word Simon Busuttil and his ilk have to say. Their track record is known to one and all. Sanctimonious claptrap!
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iva dawn tal-pn ha jibqaw jahsbu li dejjem huma ghandom ragun?.tal-biza dawn in-nies.
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iva dawn tal-pn ha jibqaw jahsbu li dejjem huma ghandom ragun?.tal-biza dawn in-nies.
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How can one believe this when the track record shows otherwise? There were other people who were promised and told one thing and the exact opposite happened. One example? Air Malta employees.
Sorry but i do NOT believe what these claim.
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How can one believe this when the track record shows otherwise? There were other people who were promised and told one thing and the exact opposite happened. One example? Air Malta employees.
Sorry but i do NOT believe what these claim.
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I would take anything that Busuttil says with a pinch of salt. We have seen the man in action. He is an EU apparatchik par excellence. He doesn't give a hoot about civil liberties. It's all about him and his career, so all that comes from the EU is good for him.
ACTA is more about control than piracy. The alternative media has been exposing the lies that governments, supranational governments and the global corporate media have been feeding you. This has been coming a very long time, yet some so called 'civil libertarians' are not even aware of its contents.
Remember: tyranny never announces itself. It creeps up progressively until it is too late to stop it.
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Parole,parole,parole.
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Has Simon Busuttil ever critized his own governments abuse of information? What right has a Maltese politician to give any reassurances when in Malta we have a secret service used to spy on citizens and reporting to the PN party - have party officials demanding information from ministries and the agency entrusted with information until recently headed by a party stooge? And what about the spying on emails sent by the opposition party?
Simon Busuttil would be the last person I would trust on this matter.
Alfred dalli •
We've seen this tactic far too many times to believe you Simon and David. You're just trying to sugar coat the issue, but you will not succeed. The younger generations (the ones who use internet the most and who will be most effected from your disgusting vote on the resolution) are not stupid. You two voted behind our backs and against our interest. Shame.
Alfred dalli •
We've seen this tactic far too many times to believe you Simon and David. You're just trying to sugar coat the issue, but you will not succeed. The younger generations (the ones who use internet the most and who will be most effected from your disgusting vote on the resolution) are not stupid. You two voted behind our backs and against our interest. Shame.
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ACTA is explicitly intended for private internet users, and not large-scale criminals. For the large-scale operations there already are copyright laws and their large scale makes it worth their while to take it to court. ACTA allows the industry groups to collude directly with the ISPs to take out individual users in an automated manner, since it wouldn't be worth the expense and hassle to go after a teenager in court (not to mention making them look bad).
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A new global treaty, ACTA, could allow corporations to police what we do on the Internet.
I think the majority in the EU Parlament will block it.
Raymond Falzon •
You are a liar simon. Remember you promised trapping will continue after. We joined the eu ?
Ian George Walker •
Can Busuttil and Casa explain why ACTA was negotiated and signed in secret and only revealed by Wikileaks?
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What these MEPs are saying is contradicting to say the least. They have voted with their party and seemingly did not give a hoof about the underlying implications. So while the resolution presented by the Socialists and Democrats group + Liberal Democrats and EU Greens proposed amendments to safeguard the citizen's interests, Busuttil and Casa voted yes for the ACTA law as it was being proposed. No matter how much spin they give to their actions, the fact remains they voted blindly, "bhan naghag ta' bendu".
