According to MEPs Stavros Lambrinidis (Greece), Francoise Castex (France), Alexander Alvaro (Germany) and Zuzana Roithova (Czech Republic), co-signatories of the Written Declaration:

"The decision to release a draft document of the Anti-Counterfeit Trade Agreement is, above all, a belated act of common sense from the side of the negotiating parties. For the last 2 years, the future of internet as we know it has been negotiated behind closed doors, without the least care for public scrutiny. This is now changing.

The European Parliament, with Written Declaration 12/2010 and its relevant resolution of 8 March 2010, sided with the coordinated efforts of civil society, academics, and citizens around the world to make all documents concerning the ACTA negotiations public. The document that is now available proves that political institutions, when asserting their rights, matter. 

But this is by no means a finished battle. What still needs to be clarified among other is the “intermediary liability” of service providers because it could induce restrictions of internet access without prior judicial due process.

Now that the transparency is being finally achieved, the debate on the substance of these very important issues must begin in earnest among all concerned citizens and Institutions. In any case, the European Parliament will protect online and offline EU citizens fundamental freedoms.

Contact details:
VP Stavros Lambrinidis: Sofia ASTERIADI +32498981371 e-mail sofia.asteriadi@europarl.europa.eu and  stavros.lambrinidis-office@europarl.europa.eu  http://www.lambrinidis.gr 

Françoise Castex:  Raphaël DELARUE +32486359463 e-mail francoise.castex@europarl.europa.eu http://www.francoisecastex.org/

Alexander Alvaro: Marton KOVACS: +32 2 28 37328 e-mail marton.kovacs@europarl.europa.eu and alexander.alvaro@europarl.europa.eu http://www.alexander-alvaro.de/

Zuzana Roithova: Jiri Jirsa +32485949099 e-mail zuzana.roithova@europearl.europa.eu  http://www.roithova.cz