The single EU patent will have great advantages for EU businesses, believes Raffaele Baldassarre. Sophia in 't Veld names those violating fundamental rights in Europe.

7 Days: Battles for better rights and an EU patent

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16166549/m004-0057-enx.srt

We've just heard  that we will have an EU unitary patent.

After 40 years of waiting  and two years of negotiations,

the EP and the governments  are in agreement.

A unitary patent  for our businesses' inventions

will be registered  in either English, French or German,

considerably reducing translation costs.

But two countries have refused  to join the scheme, Italy and Spain.

You're an Italian MEP  from the European People's Party

and one of the spokespeople  in these major negotiations.

Our country, Italy,  has refused to join the agreement.

Can you tell us  what's behind all of this?

It's paradoxical, putting an Italian  in charge of the language regime.

That's why you...  We'll talk about that later.

First of all, all our guests have to face  one minute of short questions

Is the arrival of the EU patent good news?  -Yes.

Even if Italy's not involved?  -Yes, definitely.

Do you agree with Italy and Spain?  -Definitely not.

Will the EU patent help the economy?  -I very much hope so, yes.

Even though almost all patents  are already registered in English?

Does this trilingual situation create  unfair competition for our businesses?

You've also campaigned for  a faster payment system for businesses.

In Italy it's 120-180 days.  Are things improving?

The EPP has expelled Berlusconi  for bringing down the government.

Yes.  -Yes and no. We'll discuss this later.

Will the People of Freedom party split?  -I hope not.

Does the centre-right have a leader  after Berlusconi?

Do you think Monti will get involved?  -Maybe, yes.

but the news  that's shaken Europe this week

is Monti's resignation,  which nobody expected.

Berlusconi is now  definitely entering the fray.

Your party, the European People's Party,  has made its position clear.

Can you explain  why the EPP has got involved?

Are they preparing the ground for Monti  and a centre-right coalition?

Monti's resignation  has come a month before

The most worrying thing  for people on the centre-right,

in view of Berlusconi's  recent declarations,

is that he's not in line  with their policies,

and the policy of toughness  to balance the country's books

and become the kind of virtuous country  that typifies European politics.

policies of growth and development,  which are vital today

because Italy,  like many other European countries,

can't handle  being in recession for much longer.

So Berlusconi has distanced himself  from the European stance...

He's spoken against  the European position of toughness,

against Germany's adoption  of a privileged position,

against a policy which was absolutely  necessary in these difficult times,

but which nevertheless  needs adjusting...

He alarmed the summits  with his hints of excess

because people's spheres and boundaries  are clearly defined.

He chose to intervene  in those Italian political situations

to delineate boundaries  and establish his stance.

What will  the People of Freedom party do?

I hope, as Mauro said yesterday,  that the party will stay pro-European.

So will you mount an electoral campaign  for a candidate that you no longer recognise

I think that the political situation  in Italy is still developing.

There's more to say...  -So you'll go elsewhere.

Not all the candidates  have thrown their hats into the ring.

A lot of things can change.  -We'll discuss it again.

Before we get back to patents,  let's look at what's happened this week

with this short report  by Hugues Wajnsztok.

The Nobel Peace Prize was presented  to the EU at the beginning of the week.

as the EU seems incapable of getting itself  out of the crisis it is submerged in.

for its role in transforming  a continent of war into one of peace.

Some 20 heads of state  and government attended.

Inventors in the EU will spend less money  to protect their discoveries.

MEPs have approved  the creation of an EU unitary patent

which should make protecting  EU inventions easier

The patent will only be valid  in 25 of the 27 EU Member States.

Spain and Italy have refused to participate

in protest against the use  of French, German and English

as the sole languages used in translations.

More than 132 billion euros for 2013  and an extra 6 billion for 2012.

Drawing up the budget  will have been difficult

with tough negotiations between MEPs,  the EU Commission and the states.

The European Parliament would have liked  the EU to have its own financial resources.

Midweek, the EP's 2012 Sakharov Prize  for Freedom of Thought

was awarded to two Iranian  human rights activists,

lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh  and film director Jafar Panahi.

they appointed five representatives  to receive the prize in their name.

So, Raffaele Baldassarre,  back to the studio

to talk about the vote  for the EU patent.