

The EU signs up to ACTA, but French MEP quits in protest - majmun
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-01/26/eu-signs-up-to-acta

======
zalew
meanwhile in Poland

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ACTA_protest_by_members_of...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ACTA_protest_by_members_of_the_Polish_parliament.jpg)

<http://m.onet.pl/_m/97f16e62164319581cc1a44fd071c744,9,1.jpg>

[http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?act=url&#...](http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?act=url&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=pl&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.tvn24.pl/0,1732815,0,1,admin1-chroni-
dziurawa-cybergranice-
polski,wiadomosc.html&usg=ALkJrhhrOcqCdPhvYmxPLPtEikPea_HvZA)

[http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=pl&tl=en&js...](http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=pl&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tvn24.pl%2F-1%2C1732830%2C0%2C1%2C22_latek-
zatrzymany-za-atak-na-strone-premiera%2Cwiadomosc.html&act=url)

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chalst
It bears repeating: ACTA as a treaty has been ratified, but the legislative
part of ACTA has not been ratified.

You can:

1\. Donate to the EFF - <https://supporters.eff.org/donate>

2\. Write to your MP and MEP - the Wired story has a lot of good points that
can be used in a message. Remember paper beats email, but email still counts.
Google "find your mep" for many services

3\. Link to the Wired story.

~~~
bad_user

         ACTA as a treaty has been ratified, but the 
         legislative part of ACTA has not been ratified
    

Could you please explain the difference?

~~~
chalst
A treaty is an agreement that happens because diplomats acting on behalf of
governments have reached agreement. So for ACTA, the treaty has been drawn up
and agreed by various diplomats including those representing the EU.

But these diplomats cannot legislate. The treaty only comes into force when
the various parliaments pass laws committing their countries to the treaty's
provisions.

~~~
bad_user
So I don't get this - who authorizes a diplomat to go forth and sign the
treaty?

The country's government? So this issue was discussed in all 22 countries that
signed it? When?

~~~
ktsmith
ACTA was discussed and developed almost entirely in secret over the last
couple of years.

------
dan85
EDIT: I think that my conclusion in this message is wrong.

\----------------

[PDF / page 8] [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&#...</a><p>PES
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_of_European_Socialists"
rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_of_European_Socialists</a>
and The Green Party <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Green_Party"
rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Green_Party</a> voted for
ACTA.<p>EPP <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_People%27s_Party"
rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_People%27s_Party</a>
voted against ACTA.<p>... and people call the right wing "evil fascists who
eat babies".

~~~
feb
According to the text in the votewatch report you linked, the European Peope
party voted against the proposition from the left in order to get their
version to pass : "However, to win on this issue, the EPP and ECR first had to
reject the joint Motion for Resolution proposed by the centre-left. The EPP
and ECR managed to win thanks to 11 defections from ALDE and 13 from S&D
members (the entire British Labour delegation)."

~~~
dan85
I think you might be right. Anyway, my distrust for ALL politicians still
remains.

The left-wing's MO is "think of the children" while the right-wing's is "we
must fight terrorism". But in the end they all have the same goal.

~~~
DannoHung
Seriously? Maybe this is a European thing, but conservatives pull "TEH
CHILDREN" just as much as anyone else.

