ANTI-COUNTERFEITING TRADE AGREEMENT : ACTA SPARKS WIDESPREAD CONCERN.

After giving rise to waves of protest across Europe, on 11 February, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), signed by the European Union and 22 member states on 26 January, is now creating concerns in certain capitals: the Czech Republic, Poland and Latvia have decided to freeze the ratification process. Germany, one of the five states that have still not signed the text, refused to do so, on 10 February. EP President Martin Schulz (S&D, Germany) described the agreement as "imbalanced" in a televised interview broadcast by Germany's ARD. "I do not find it good in its current form," said Schulz.

This international treaty aims to set up a global international framework to combat breaches of intellectual property rights (particularly on the internet) and the counterfeiting of numerous products. Since it contains penal measures, an area of shared competence, it must be signed and ratified by the European Union and by the 27 member states. Like the national parliaments, the European Parliament must approve the treaty for it to enter into force. The vote is scheduled in June but the outcome cannot be taken for granted. So far, only the Greens-EFA group has clearly urged the EP to reject it. The S&D group has expressed many reservations and may reject the text. The Liberals (ALDE) and EPP have not yet announced a definitive position.

Apart from the lack of transparency in the negotiations...