Your computer might be seized if you download illegally. International talks on computer piracy kept secret by the Commission and EU governments will decide on citizens’ future rights. The Parliament intends to lift the veil of secrecy and ensure its voic

Punishing Computer Pirates

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15162145/N001-100318-002-EN.srt

Computers, MP3 players and telephones   could be searched and seized

These new rules don’t   yet apply in Europe,

but international negotiations   have begun.

Talks kept secret by   the Commission and the Council.

We should have been involved at   the beginning of the negotiations,

so we have to find   a way to deal with this problem.

If 27 national ministers consider that   they can give themselves a mandate

to negotiate in secret on the fundamental   rights and freedoms of European citizens

then their understanding of democracy   differs from mine.

The Commission says it has been clear   and communicated all required data.

I’ve given very precise answers   to all the questions,

so I’m surprised that things   are still being said

that are entirely contrary   to what I’ve said.

But MEPs look set to take a harder line.

The Commission will risk a no in the end

if they go on with their old strategy of   closed doors, non-information

and lack of transparency,   which is what they've done up to now.

If they sidestep the EP, then we’ll take it   all the way to the Court of Justice.

The EP’s first warning came at   the end of the latest Strasbourg session.

An overwhelming majority of MEPs   adopted a resolution

demanding more transparency in the   run up to the international agreement.