Parliament’s EU affairs committee to discuss ACTA

The Maltese parliament's committee on European and Foreign Affairs will be discussing the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, which the Maltese government signed last week, to the consternation of a section of the general public.

During a press conference held this afternoon, Fenech said the committee would be responsible to flag any issues that might arise out of the agreement, which is believed will render ISPs criminally liable for copyright infringement and lead to the censorship of websites.

Echoing comments issued in a statement last evening, Fenech said ACTA will not censor websites and has nothing to do with how individuals use the Internet.

"However, the trade agreement doesn't go beyond current EU legislation and will not change existing EU legislation," Fenech said.

According to the Maltese government, ACTA does not create new intellectual property rights (IPRs), but rather concerns procedures and measures to enforce existing rights and to act against large scale infringements, often pursued by criminal organisations.

Fenech also said explained that if ACTA went beyond current EU legislation, the European Commission would not have been able to sign it but would have gone through the standard procedure of seeking the consent of the European Parliament and the Council of Ministry.

While Malta has given its approval by signing the agreement together with other 21 EU member states, ACTA still awaits the approval of the parliament of each member state. After it goes back to the European Parliament and the European Council for the final approval.

Yesterday, Labour's three MEPs 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.

Fenech also said that the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC) had notified its members about the agreement before its signing, in July.

"None of its members, including the Labour Party had objected," Fenech said.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party has cricitised PN MEPs Simon Busuttil and David Casa for voting against a resolution against ACTA tabled by Socialists, Liberal and Green parties

"Simon Busuttil and his sidekick David Casa have confirmed they voted against an anti-ACTA resolution tabled by Socialists, Liberals and Greens. True to their conservative stand, they voted with the right wing bloc in favour of an ACTA-friendly version," the PL said.

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.