Labour MEP Prof Edward Scicluna welcomed today’s overwhelming defeat of the controversial anti-counterfeit treaty Acta, describing it as a “victory for freedom on the Internet.”

 Prof Scicluna was speaking after MEPs in Strasbourg refused to consent to the deal negotiated by the European Commission rejecting by 478 votes to 165. Under the Lisbon Treaty the European Parliament must give its consent in order to ratify international agreements negotiated by the Commission.   Speaking after the plenary vote Prof Scicluna said:   “This is a victory for freedom on the internet. Intellectual property is one of most valuable commodities of the European economy and we need to have clear rules to protect the rights of authors and performers.   “But the main problem with Acta is its ambiguity. The sanctions are draconian and it is unclear how they would be applied. Internet service providers would have sweeping new powers to monitor our Internet use. We cannot have a system where people can lose their internet connection and face criminal prosecution for sharing downloaded music with their friends.   Last week the Netherlands became the latest country to halt ratification of Acta. The Maltese government signed up to Acta in January along with 21 other EU countries, many of whom have since cancelled their ratification process.   Along with the Parliament’s Liberal and Green groups, the Socialist and Democrat group consistently voiced their concerns about treaty, particularly the way it had been negotiated and provisions on criminal sanctions. However, in resolutions adopted by MEPs in November 2010, the EPP, which includes Malta’s two Nationalist MEPs, and the eurosceptic ECR group, welcomed the deal agreed by the Commission.   Today the EPP group, which includes Malta’s two Nationalist party MEP colleagues, sought to postpone the vote, having supported the treaty throughout its negotiation.   Commenting on this, Prof Scicluna concluded:   “I am pleased to see the latest u-turn from our two Nationalist MEPs, who have supported Acta all the way through the negotiation process only to change their mind when public opinion turned against the treaty.   “We would not be in this predicament if the EPP had not rubber-stamped the deal negotiated by the Commission. Acta has been flawed from the start. It was negotiated in secret and we only learned about it through Wikileaks in 2008, nearly three years into the talks.   The Commission must go back to the drawing board to reach a proportionate deal that protects copyright without harming personal freedom.”

Prof Scicluna:  It-telfa tal-ACTA “rebħa għall-libertà”

L-Ewroparlamentari Laburista, l-Professur Edward Scicluna laqa’ b’sodisfazzjon it-telfa tat-trattat kontroversjali ACTA, li huwa ddeskriva bħala “rebħa għall-liberta’ fuq l-internet.” Prof Scicluna kien qed jitkellem wara li l-Membri Parlamentari Ewropej fi Strasburgu ċaħdu li jagħtu l-appoġġ tagħhom lit-trattat hekk kif innegozjat mill-Kummissjoni Ewropea.  Taħt ir-regoli tat-trattat ta’ Lisbona, il-Parlament Ewropew irid jagħti l-kunsens tiegħu lil kull ftehim internazzjonali nnegozzjat mill-Kummissjoni Ewropeja. F’kummenti li ta wara l-vot fil-plenarja, Prof Scicluna qal: “Din hija rebħa għall-liberta’ fuq l-internet.  Il-propjeta’ intelletwali hija waħda mill-aktar riżorsi mportanti għall-ekonomija Ewropea u għandna bżonn regoli ċari li jipproteġu d-drittijiet tal-awturi u tal-artisti. “Pero l-akbar problema ta’ l-ACTA hija l-ambigwita’ tagħha.  Is-sanzjonijiet li kienu proposti kienu drakonjani u ma hemmx ċertezza fuq kif kienu ħa jiġu applikati.  L-provedituri tas-servizz tal-internet (ISP’s) kien ħa jkollhom poteri ġodda biex jgħassu fuq l-użu tal-Internet.  Ma jistgħax ikollna sistema fejn in-nies ikunu jistgħu jitilfu l-konnessjoni tagħhom mal-internet u jiffaċċjaw prosekuzzjoni kriminali talli jaqsmu mużika mniżżla minnhom ma sħabhom. Il-ġimgħa li għaddiet l-Olanda saret l-aħħar pajjiż li waqqaf ir-ratifikazzjoni tal-ACTA.  Il-gvern Malti ffirma l-ACTA f’Jannar flimkien ma’ 21 pajjiż ieħor tal-UE, li ħafna minnhom issa kkanċellaw il-proċess tar-ratifikazzjoni tagħhom. Flimkien mal-gruppi Liberali u Ħodor fil-Parlament Ewropew, l-Alleanza tas-Soċjalisti u Demokratiċi kienet konsistenti mill-bidu nett fit-tħassib tagħha dwar it-trattat, b’mod partikolari dwar il-mod kif kien innegozzjat u l-provizzjonijiet għall-sanzjonijiet kriminali.  Madanakollu, f’riżoluzzjoni addottata mill-Parlament Ewropew f’Novembru tal-2010, l-grupp tal-Popolari Ewropew (EPP), li jinkludi fih iż-żewg Deputati Nazzjonalisti, u l-grupp tal-Konservattivi (ECR), qablu mal-proposta kif miftehma mill-Kummissjoni. Illum, l-EPP li jinkludi fih iż-żewġ MPE’s  Nazzjonalisti, fittex li jipposponi l-vot, wara li appoġġa t-trattat matul il-proċess tan-negozazzjoni. Fil-kummenti tiegħu, Prof. Scicluna qal: “Nilqa bi pjaċir l-aħħar u-turn mill-MPE’s Nazzjonalisti, li appoġġaw l-ACTA mill-bidu nett u matul il-proċess tan-negozjati, li biddlu fhemthom meta l-opinjoni pubblika daret kontra dan it-trattat. “Ma konniex naslu f’dan l-istat kieku l-EPP ma approvax it-trattat nnegozzjat mill-Kummissjoni Ewropea.  ACTA kienet zoppa mill-bidu.  Kien trattat nneggozjat b’mod sigriet u sirna nafu biha wara li ġiet ppublikata minn Wikileaks fl-2008, tlett snin wara li bdew in-negozjati. Il-Kummissjoni trid terga tmur lura u tinnegozja mill-ġdid sabiex jintlaħaq ftehim li jkun proporzjonali li jħares il-copyright mingħajr ma jirfes fuq il-liberta’ personali.”

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– Wednesday, 4th July, 2012