Brussels, June 21st 2012 – The European Parliament’s main committee in charge of ACTA just adopted its voting recommendation to the rest of the Members. Despite intense pressure, the Parliament is now officially advised to reject ACTA during the upcoming plenary vote, scheduled for July 4th . We now have very high chances of finally defeating ACTA and opening the way for a positive reform of copyright! Let’s celebrate, while aiming for the final vote, and build a post-ACTA world! <3





La Quadrature du Net’s team and volunteers from all around Europe spent the past week in the Parliament to ensure that all political groups and Members would be properly briefed and ready to face their responsibility during today’s vote. Members of the International Trade (INTA) committee of the EU Parliament avoided falling for the intense pressure exerted by industry lobbies and the EU Commission, who tried very hard to save face and avoid a blatant defeat. Commissioner De Gucht, responsible for negotiating ACTA, even invited himself in the INTA committee yesterday in a desperate attempt to have its Members postpone the final vote by a few years. In vain.

By 19 votes to 12, INTA adopted its final recommendation: The European Parliament must reject ACTA!

During the upcoming plenary session in Strasbourg, probably on July 4th, the final vote will be held. This will be a unique opportunity for all Members to finally destroy and bury ACTA. As of today, citizens must consider contacting all Members of the Parliament to advise them to follow the INTA committee’s recommendation (as well as those of the four other committees who also called on rejecting ACTA).

“Considering how the European Commission and interest groups have kept ignoring the unambiguous stand of the majority of MEPs, one has to expect a new round of pressure and manoeuvres. Citizens must remain fully mobilized in view of the plenary vote.” declared Mélissa Richard, campaigner for La Quadrature du Net

“The way is now paved for a quick and total rejection of ACTA by the European Parliament! With a political symbol of such a global scale, the way will be open for copyright to be reformed in a positive way, in order to encourage our cultural practices instead of blindly repressing them. Let’s aim for this long-awaited victory and build our post-ACTA world! But let’s celebrate first!” concludes Jérémie Zimmermann, spokesperson for the citizen group.

La Quadrature du Net warmly thanks all citizens who took part in this success, and all the Members of the INTA committee who courageously stood for defending them. It is an effort which we must sustain.