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Deutsch: ACTA: Niederländisches Parlament lehnt geheime Verhandlungen ab

ACTA is creating quite some noise, not only internationally but also domestically. National Parliaments, including the Dutch Parliament, will have to decide whether they will approve ACTA or not. In order to correctly assess the implications of ACTA, the Dutch Parliament requested publication of all preparatory documents on ACTA.

The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Maxime Verhagen, would only hand over these documents if parliamentarians vowed not to reveal anything about these documents.

Last week, the Dutch Parliament debated the imposed restrictions. A majority of the Parliament indicated that ACTA could not be discussed in Parliament before all information on the negotiations is disclosed without conditions.

EDRi-member Bits of Freedom sent, in preparation of this debate, a letter to the Parliament that underlined the problems associated with ACTA and advised to not accept the imposed restrictions, as these would prohibit the Parliament from discussing the treaty freely in public and consult experts.

Dutch parliament refuses ACTA secrecy (23.11.2011)
http://acta.ffii.org/?p=924

Absurd obligation of confidentiality on ACTA blocks public debate (only in Dutch, 21.11.2011)
https://www.bof.nl/2011/11/21/absurde-zwijgplicht-over-acta-blokkeert-...

Parliament demands moratorium on anti-counterfeiting treaty ACTA (only in Dutch, 23.11.2011)
https://www.bof.nl/2011/11/23/kamer-eist-moratorium-op-anti-namaakverd...

(Contribution by Rebecca Roskam EDRi-member Bits of Freedom volunteer - Netherlands)