Vote on IPR enforcement delayed again

By EDRi · November 19, 2003

The vote on the Draft Directive on the Enforcement of Intellectual
Property Rights, originally foreseen for the meeting of the Judicial
Affairs Committee of the European Parliament last Monday, has been
postponed again. The Rapporteur, Janelly Fourtou (Conservative, France)
had to give in to a request for delay supported by a majority composed of
Social Democrats, Liberals, Greens and the Left. They argued more
discussion was necessary to be able to understand the problems in
connection with the Directive.

The next date scheduled for the vote in committee is 27 November, in
Brussels. It is unlikely that there will be a vote in the Plenary of the
European Parliament before the end of the year, because the EU Council has
already presented an alternative version of the Directive, which will
inevitably lead to more discussions before the report can be voted in
Plenary.

Additionally, it seems, the Italian Presidency, whose term ends at the end
of the year, is not particularly keen on dealing with the issue. The
software industry seems to have higher expectations of the upcoming Irish
Presidency, and is already lobbying heavily in order to have the Directive
passed before the enlargement of the European Union by the middle of next
year.

Mrs. Fourtou’s Compromise Amendments
http://www.europarl.eu.int/meetdocs/committees/juri/20031104/511548EN.pdf

(Contribution by Andreas Dietl, EDRI EU affairs director)