Just got this email from the EFF:
Help stop the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) from steamrolling our rights and freedoms. Please contact your Member of Parliament (MEP) today and ask them to sign a Declaration that takes a stand against efforts to curb Internet freedom in ACTA. Parliamentarians must sign in person before July 8, during the Strasbourg plenary session.
Written Declaration 12 asks EU negotiators to ensure that ACTA respects European citizens’ fundamental rights to freedom of expression and privacy, and opposes provisions that would encourage Internet intermediaries to engage in surveillance or filtering of all Internet users’ communications for potential copyright-infringing material. If 369 members of the European Parliament sign this declaration before July 8, it will become the official opinion of the European Parliament, and send a strong message to the EU ACTA negotiators. Around 253 MEPs have signed, but 116 MEP signatures are still needed — particularly from MEPs in Germany, the U.K., Italy and Poland.
With the latest round of ACTA negotiations having just wrapped up in Switzerland, and only one more round likely to take place, now is the time to ask your MEPs to sign Written Declaration 12 and ensure that ACTA protects the fundamental rights of all citizens and the open Internet. Please write and call the Strasbourg offices of Members of Parliament who have not yet signed before July 8. The list of Members who have not yet signed and require particular attention is here.
There is a narrow window of opportunity for MEPs to take a stand against ACTA — it is only during the Strasbourg plenary session of July 5-8 that MEPs will have an opportunity to sign Written Declaration 12 at the declarations table. It is crucial that MEPs understand the importance of signing Written Declaration 12 before moving on to the plenary session.
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Here are the Irish MEPS that have not, at the time of writing, signed the declaration. Please read the above links and write to them, the links below link to detailed contact information. In a week when Finland has made broadband a legal right for every citizen its important to not to let these talks limit Internet freedoms.
Brian CROWLEY ALDE (FF) brian.crowley(at)europarl.europa.eu
Jim HIGGINS PPE (FG) jim.higgins(at)europarl.europa.eu
Joe HIGGINS GUE/NGL (Socialist) joe.higgins(at)europarl.europa.eu
Seán KELLY PPE (FG) sean.kelly(at)europarl.europa.eu
Mairead McGUINNESS PPE (FG) mairead.mcguinness(at)europarl.europa.eu
Gay MITCHELL PPE (FG) gay.mitchell(at)europarl.europa.eu
And here are the names of those who have:
Liam AYLWARD, Nessa CHILDERS, Proinsias DE ROSSA, Pat the Cope GALLAGHER, Marian HARKIN & Alan KELLY.
It’s interesting that none of the FG MEP’s have signed this letter.