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| The treaty had been heavily critcised in the months leading up to the vote |
The
European Parliament has voted to reject the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
(Acta).
The
proposed agreement sought to curb piracy, but internet campaigners said it
posed a threat to online freedoms.
The
rejection vote followed a failed attempt to postpone the decision because of
ongoing investigations into Acta by the European Court of Justice.
Euro MP
David Martin said: "It's time to give [Acta] its last rites."
Twenty two
EU member states, including the UK, had signed the Acta treaty - but it had not
been formally ratified.
Outside the
EU, the treaty also had the support of the US, Australia, Canada, Japan,
Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea.
However,
following significant protests, several countries chose not to back the treaty.
Wednesday's
vote is seen by most observers as the final blow to the treaty in its current
form. It means no member states will be able to join the agreement.
A total of
478 MEPs voted against the deal, with 39 in favour. There were 165 abstentions.
'Hello
democracy'
EU Trade
Commissioner Karel De Gucht said work into tackling piracy would continue.
"Today's
rejection does not change the fact that the European Commission has committed
itself to seeking answers to the questions raised by the European public,"
he said.
"The
European Commission will continue to seek the legal opinion of the European
Court of Justice on whether this agreement harms any of the fundamental rights
of European citizens - including freedom of speech.
"European
citizens have raised these concerns and now they have the right to receive
answers. We must respect that right."
As the
decision was made, some of those in attendance held banners reading:
"Hello democracy, goodbye Acta".
The UK's
Pirate Party had campaigned against Acta since details of the treaty were first
made public.
In a
statement, leader Loz Kaye said he was pleased that politicians "listened
to the millions" of people who had sent messages in protest.
"The
European Parliament vote is a triumph of democracy over special interests and
shady back-room deals," Mr Kaye said.
"Without
this opposition, our representatives would have waved this agreement through.
It is now clear that it is becoming increasingly politically poisonous to be
'anti-internet'."
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| The European Parliament has voted to reject the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (Acta) |
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