EU Telecoms Package: New meetings today

Press Release from the Swedish Pirate Party, November 4:th 2009

EU: Negotiations on the EU Telecoms Package tonight

Our line is that the principles of "amendment 138" must be defended. This is to say that Members States should not be allowed to cut people of from the Internet (if any MS decides on such measures) with less than a prior, fair trial in a court of law.

In this process there are many proposals, compromises and ideas flying around. The Swedish Pirate MEP Christian Engström says...

"Right now it is essential that the European Parliament stays with the core values of amendment 138. We would like to stick to amendment 138, more or less in its original form. But we have conflicting judicial advice about that possibility."

"A key issue is if we will be able to stop French Hadopi-laws and British Mandelson-measures. If the text negotiated do not do this, we cannot accept it."

"I am worried that other MEP:s in the delegation might be willing to compromise. Or that they will give up, exhausted. We call upon them to focus on the principle that the European Parliament at several occasions has voted for - that government should not be able to punish people without a fair, prior trial. This is also fundamental for a democracy respecting rule of law" Engström concludes.

Also see Christian Engströms blog:

http://christianengstrom.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/telecom-package-meetings-on-wednesday/

Time table:

7 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, the European Parliaments Delegation to the Conciliation Committee on the EU Telecoms Package will meet.

8 p.m. there will be a Trialouge Meeting (leaders of the EP Delegation, leaders of the Councils delegation and representatives for the Commission).

After this there will be a brief report from the Trialouge to the Delegation.

9 p.m. there will be a meeting with the full Conciliation Committee (27 from the EP, 27 from the Council and represenatives from the Commission). At this meeting the EU-Precidency will be represented by the Swedish Minister for Infrastructure, Åsa Torstensson. Commissioner Vivian Reding will also be present.

Or - if the negosiations get stuck - there will be another Trialogue Meeting at 9 p.m.

Thursday morning at 9 a.m. the Delegation leaders from the EP, Torstensson and Reding will hold a press conference.

Thursday at 10 a.m. the Green Group in the EP and Swedish Pirate Party will hold a press conference. (Both press conferences are to be held in room PHS 0A050 in the European Parliament in Brussels.)

Contact details:

Christian Engström (PP), Swedish Pirate MEP, +46 706 633 780.

Rick Falkvinge (PP), leader of the Swedish Pirate Party, +46 708 303 600.

Henrik Alexandersson at MEP Engströms office in the EP, +32 484 088 770 (mobile) or +32 228 47368.

[In Swedish]