Commissioner-designate Kroes heard on ACTA-standpoint

Commissioner-designate for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, was heard last Thursday by the European Parliament.

One of the issues discussed was Kroes’ attitude on copyright in the digital environment.

On the issue of the publication of digital works, which has pitted European publishers and Member States against the likes of Google, Kroes said she feared "the other ones would pass Europe by". She said she would cooperate with the new Commissioner for the internal market Michael Barnier, to create a framework that focuses consumer rights.

In a related discussion, the highly sensitive issue of terminating internet connections without intervention of a court of law was brought to the fore. Last summer, this was a much-debate point in the discussions on the telecoms package.

MEP Catherine Trautman feared that the multilateral ACTA negotiations in which the EU, the USA and Japan are involved, might result in a basis on which Internet users would be cut off without the right to due process.

Kroes answered that she would champion fundamental rights. The objective of ACTA negotiations “is to provide the same safeguards as the EU did in the telecoms package," she said.

"No text has been agreed yet. There has been a first proposal tabled by the U.S.  For the Commission the objective of the negotiations is that our international partners guarantee the same level of protection of IP rights as the EU currently applies...there will be no harmonization via the backdoor.  We stick to the line; they have to move to our side and that's it."

Quote via Micheal Geist.

18-01-2010