The Finance Ministry this evening sought to clarify the situation following the signing of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), insisting that the agreement will not lead to the censorship of websites.

"ACTA is not about checking or monitoring private communication on the internet. It will not censor websites and has nothing to do with how individual citizens use the internet. Furthermore, the trade agreement will not lead to limitations of fundamental rights (e.g. control of laptops of air passengers at borders and the monitoring of internet traffic). The respect of fundamental rights such as privacy, freedom of expression and data protection is expressively mentioned as a basic principle of the agreement."

The ministry said ACTA will not change existing EU legislation. It will not create new Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), but, rather, it concerns procedures and measures to enforce existing rights and to act against large scale infringements, often pursued by criminal organisations.

This would benefit the EU's economy and citizens' rights.

"ACTA will furthermore ensure that the existing EU high standards of intellectual protection are recognised on a global level. It will also ensure that organised criminals are stopped from stealing intellectual property which costs about €8 billion on an annual basis in losses to European industry and jobs."

The ministry said the EU's economy can only remain competitive if it can rely on innovation, creativity, quality, and brand exclusivity.

"These are some of our main comparative advantages on the world market, and they are all protected by Intellectual Property Rights. Protecting Intellectual Property Rights and providing for stronger enforcement means protecting jobs and will ensure that innovative jobs remain in the EU, including in Malta."

The agreement will be discussed and ratified in national Parliaments. The European Parliament will be formally notified to initiate its consent procedure, and only once the European Parliament has given its consent and the national ratification processes in the Member States are completed, will the EU Council of Ministers adopt a final decision.