Despite the fact that ACTA was seemingly on its deathbed just last month, the European Union’s International Trade Committee (INTA) is now set to meet this Thursday, June 21 in Brussels to give its recommendation to the European Parliament as a whole. This vote is the most significant in the run-up to what will eventually be the full vote before the European Parliament, which has slated it for a vote in July.

This, of course, is after the fact that four (count ‘em, four!) parliamentary committees have already rejected ratification of the international treaty. The controversial intellectual property treaty does not enter into force until six signatories have ratified it. So far, none have.

Last month, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said that his government would not ratify ACTA—despite the fact that the European Union (of which Romania is a member) did sign it on his country’s behalf. Anti-ACTA protests have taken place in the Polish parliament and in cities throughout Europe earlier this year. Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, said it too was backing away from the agreement. Even Neelie Kroes, the EU commissioner for the digital agenda, expressed her skepticism that the 27-member bloc would ratify ACTA at all. Earlier this year, the European Parliament already asked for consultation by the European Court of Justice for a judicial ruling on privacy issues.

Within the legislative body, two European parties, the European Conservatives and Reformists and the European People’s Party, have proposed dueling amendments to keep the controversial legislation alive. The EPP is calling for ratification, while the ECR is urging for a suspension until after the European Court of Justice has delivered its opinion. Parties on the left side of the political spectrum—including the Liberals, Greens, and Socialists—are roundly opposed to ACTA.

Jérémie Zimmerman, of the French tech advocacy group La Quadrature du Net, told Ars that his group had “confirmed rumors” that the vote set for Thursday would be a “secret vote.” It's a procedural move where committee members do not have to reveal how they voted.

“This illustrates how much the European Commission and industrial lobbies have been pushing hard on the INTA members in order to have at least the final vote postponed, despite the opinion of the four committees [who voted against it],” he wrote. “If the final vote is postponed by INTA Members, especially if the vote is ‘secret,’ the Parliament would in effect renounce to its political power, and fail to defend EU citizens against ACTA.”