Telecoms-digital rights

EU ministers will meet in Brussels this Thursday, 27 November, to discuss the EU package of telecoms legislation. Guy Bono (PES) and Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Greens/EFA) today called on them to resist a French Presidency "diktat" aimed at withdrawing current proposals with a view to introducing a 'three-strikes-and-out' law. This "graduated response" would ultimately cut users' internet connection on grounds of breaching intellectual property rights (e.g. downloading copyright material), without the need for judicial oversight.

The two MEPs called on ministers to respect the position of their "Amendment 138", overwhelmingly supported by the European Parliament in September, which states that: "no restriction may be imposed on the rights and freedoms of end-users without a prior ruling by judicial authorities".

Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Co-president of the Greens/EFA Group in the European parliament, commented:

"This amendment re-establishes important principles, especially citizens' fundamental rights. EU ministers must not ignore the views of citizens and their elected representatives in the European parliament."

Guy Bono and Daniel Cohn-Bendit warn in their letter:

"Nine months before the European elections a simple deletion of this amendment... would give an appalling image of European democracy in general, and of the Council in particular."

Click here to read the letter by Guy Bono and Daniel Cohn-Bendit to telecoms ministers (PDF 50 KB)

Press Service of the Greens/EFA Group
in the European Parliament

Chris Coakley,
Press Officer,
The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament
Tel: Brussels +32 2 2841667 / Strasburg +33 3 88174375
Mobile: +32-477-44-38-42
Fax: 0032 2 2844944
email: chris.coakley@europarl.europa.eu