EU Parliament Signals Against ‘Three-Strikes’ Filtering

The EU Parliament on Wednesday underlined its position that any limitations of the fundamental right of access to information is subject to a prior check by a judge. By voting for amendment No. 138/46 in the report of French Socialist Catherine Trautmann, the Parliament rejected a last-minute compromise Trautman had worked out with the Council on the EU Telecoms package. The amendment is seen as a clear signal against the French “three-strikes model” to cut internet access of users allegedly infringing copyright on the net, the so-called Hadopi legislation (Hadopi is the proposed agency to send warnings and decide on the cutting of internet access) [Note: Hadopi is not yet passed]. With the compromise for Trautmann’s report rejected, the Council (the member states) has to express its opinion. If the Council rejects the European Parliament position a “conciliation third reading“ stage will take place. Yet this would block the finalisation of the telecommunications package until after the elections of the EU Parliament in June. The Liberal Party withdrew its support for the compromise in the last minute and supported the Green Party in a move to first vote on the original civil rights amendment. In an initial reaction, Alexander Alvaro of the Liberal Party said he would recommend to the Council to accept that the EU Parliament and European citizens were against the filtering and the cut-off of internet access.

Three reports were also adopted:

Catherine Trautmann for the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Malcolm Harbour for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
Pilar del Castillo Vera for the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy