[A2k] Telecoms Package: When rapporteurs betray EU citizens.

Fri May 1 09:41:01 2009

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La Quadrature du Net - For immediate release

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Telecoms Package: When rapporteurs betray EU citizens.

*** On both parts of the Telecoms Package, rapported by Malcolm Harbour
(IMCO report) and Catherine Trautmann (ITRE report), agreements have
been found with the Council of the EU to destroy or neutralize major
protections of the citizens against graduated response, "net
discrimination" and filtering of content on the Internet. There is
little time left, but the Parliament has a last chance with the plenary
vote on May 6th to reaffirm its commitment to protecting EU citizens.  ***

Both rapporteurs of the main directives of the Telecoms Package, Malcolm
Harbour (IMCO report) and Catherine Trautmann (ITRE report) sacrificed
the effective protection of citizens fundamental rights. They bent
before the Council of the EU, under high pressure from France and UK, in
shadowy trialogue negociations... Pressure was too high on them so they
preferred finishing the Telecoms Package without risking to spend three
more months negociating with the Council in a conciliation procedure
[1]. These undemocratic practices lead to frightening compromise
amendments that will be put to vote on the second reading plenary on
Wednesday, May 6th in Strasbourg :

    * In the IMCO report by M. Harbour, article 32(a) (former am. 166)
protecting against arbitrary content filtering on the Internet, was
totally neutralized. On the topic of "net discrimination", a safeguard
that was already very weak (recital 26) was turned into a useless blurb.
It's not a surprise that Harbour gave up to the pressure of the UK
government and companies such as AT&T. But it's a shame for European
citizens who deserve their right to communication, information and
education, when used through the Internet, to be protected.
    * In the ITRE report by C. Trautmann, amendment 138/46, adopted by
88% of the EP in first reading, and by 40 to 4 in committee last week,
was abandoned. This article was crucial for protecting EU citizens
against parallel arbitrary justice. Three-strike schemes against
filesharers such as the HADOPI law proposal in France are not clearly
forbidden by the new compromise. Even though these schemes remain
contrary to the due process of law, one will wait years to have it
confirmed in front of a court. In this clear attempt to please to N.
Sarkozy, C. Trautmann agreed to a major step back in citizens' rights
protection.

Citizens from all the EU must phone their MEPs to explain to them how
crucial these stakes are for the future of our societies and our
economies. MEPs have a chance to correct their colleagues' mistakes by
voting for the "Citizen Rights amendments" package, which includes the
original am.138, original am.46 and am.134 from first reading, along
with clear protections against "net discrimination", and removal of all
remaining traces of "graduated response".

"A few weeks away from the elections, this is the only chance for the
Members of European Parliament to correctly protect their electors'
fundamental rights and freedoms over the Internet, against the will of
greedy and obsolete industries." states Jérémie Zimmermann, co-founder
and spokesperson of La Quadrature du Net.

La Quadrature calls all citizens of the EU to mobilize their friends and
networks to be ready to act from Monday 4 April to Wednesday 6 April.

* Références *

1. The conciliation is a kind of negociated "third reading" in the
codecision procedure

** 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

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