European Parliament
Astrid Lulling  (PPE ),
in writing.
(FR)
Before voting on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), Parliament should have waited for the opinion of the Court of Justice of the European Union, to which the Commission had referred the matter. Unfortunately, a large majority of MEPs did not support this reasonable proposal by my political group.
It was therefore with regret that I abstained during on the vote on this Agreement, which I support in principle. A binding agreement among 31 parties against the illegal production and distribution of physical or virtual products subject to copyright would undoubtedly be a vital legal instrument in ensuring better protection and promoting our innovative businesses in the area of intellectual property.
I acknowledge that some articles require more precise wording, for example, in the definition of an offence involving an act on a commercial scale or the definition of a wilful act.
The populist arguments about respect for privacy and disclosure of information, however, only confirm my belief that they are not based on a full understanding of the text of the Agreement.
In conclusion, this Parliament has again missed an opportunity to behave like an informed and reasonable legislator, giving in to a campaign of disinformation the like of which I have never witnessed in my political career.

