[A2k] URGENT: Two days to help Catherine Trautmann protect EU citizens.

Mon Apr 20 08:17:09 2009

URGENT: Two days to help Catherine Trautmann protect EU citizens.

*** Paris, April 20th 2009 - The Council of the EU is strongly pushing
Catherine Trautmann - rapporteur of the main directives of the "Telecoms
Package" - to accept a useless, neutralized version [1] of amendment
138. This amendment, opposing to "graduated response" - or "three
strikes" - schemes, has been overwhelmingly adopted by the European
Parliament in its first reading on September 2008, and is crucial for
safeguarding EU citizens' rights and freedoms. La Quadrature du Net
calls European citizens to urge their MEPs seating in ITRE committee to
support the rapporteur by refusing any compromise neutralizing amendment
138 (now renumbered 46) on April 21st vote. ***

A crucial amendment [2] for protecting EU citizens against entertainment
industries' private police and parallel justice (known as "three
strikes" or "graduated response" policy) was approved by 88% of the
Members of the European Parliament in first reading of the EU Telecoms
Package, on September 24th 2008.

This amendment 138 was then deleted without any justification by the
Council of the EU, under strong pressure by Nicolas Sarkozy, during the
French presidency of the EU. It was to be reintroduced in second reading
within the Industry, TRansport, Energy (ITRE) committee (now renumbered
46). Now under strong pressure by the Council, the rapporteur Catherine
Trautmann and the ITRE committee might be about to accept a compromise
where amendment 138/46 would become an indicative recital instead of an
article that must be implemented in Member States' laws. It is now time
for EU citizens to make their voice heard in the ITRE committee, as such
a neutralized compromise wouldn't protect their essential rights and
freedoms anymore.

La Quadrature du Net published a detailed analysis explaining the issues
at stake and the importance of the rapporteur's responsibility [3].
Advice for EU citizens on how to contact their MEPs is provided [4] on a
campaign page.

"Every concerned EU citizen must call his MEPs seating in ITRE committee
to inform them about the situation and urge them to vote in favour of
amendment 138/46. The European Parliament must, along with the
rapporteur Catherine Trautmann, keep its position at all cost. No
compromise can be accepted when safeguarding fundamental rights and
freedoms. We all need a Parliament that protects EU citizens and doesn't
bend under the Council's pressure. In these troubled times of disbelief
in the EU institutions, right before the elections, the Parliament must
stand strong for its electors by approving amendment 138/46." concludes
Jérémie Zimmermann, spokesperson of La Quadrature du Net, calling all EU
citizens to take action before Tuesday April 21, 20h00.

* Références *

1. The Council wants to make it a merely indicative recital instead of
an article that Member States must transpose into their law

2. Amendment Bono, Cohn-Bendit, Roithová and others: "Applying the
principle that no restriction may be imposed on the fundamental rights
and freedoms of end-users, without a prior ruling by the judicial
authorities, notably in accordance with Article 11 of the Charter of
Fundamental Rights of the European Union on freedom of expression and
information, save when public security is threatened in which case the
ruling may be subsequent."

3.
http://www.laquadrature.net/fr/telecoms-package-the-rapporteurs-fear-of-the=
-penalty.

4.
http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Mobilisation_2days_to_save_am138_and_citiz=
ens_rights_in_Telecoms_Package

** About la Quadrature du Net **

La Quadrature du Net (Squaring the Net) is citizen group informing about
legislative projects menacing civil liberties as well as economic and
social development in the digital age.

La Quadrature du Net informs citizens, public authorities,
organizations, corporations.

It works with everyone to elaborate balanced alternative solutions.

La Quadrature du Net is supported by French, european and international
NGOs including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Society
Institute and Privacy International.

List of supporting organisations :
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-squaring-net-la-quadrature-du-n=
et

** Press contact and press room **

Jérémie Zimmermann, jz@laquadrature.net, +33 (0)615 940 675

http://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room

- --
- ---  La Quadrature du Net --- http://www.laquadrature.net

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