Re: [Fsfe-uk] Chaos in the EU Council....

[Alex Hudson]

On Fri, 2004-07-09 at 23:44 +0100, Ralph Janke wrote:
> IHT: Europe's software patent policy under siege:
> 
> http://www.iht.com/articles/528268.html
> 
> I have always suspected the EU Council is not very democratic.... but so bad
> ??????????

You'll be please to know, then, that the legislative influence of the
European Parliament has been "exhausted":

        http://kwiki.ffii.org/?Helmer040705En

Malcolm Harbour MEP is now telling people that the amendments that were
tabled made the proposal "unworkable", and that it's now up to the
Council and the Commission to make something workable. (Harbour tends to
be the one who drafts responses on this issue, which other MEPs
regurgitate on demand).

Roger Helmer MEP finishes his letter with:

        "However, I am grateful for your sending it. Since Parliament's
        legislative influence is now exhausted, any lobbying should be
        done toward the British Government * either directly to the
        relevant minister, or through your MP."
        
... so we should probably take them up on their offer, and lobby the
British Government. If there is any chance of increasing the pressure
that Governments are feeling nationally about this issue (witness the
Dutch, the Danes, the Poles, etc.) we should probably take it, even
though our own Government seems irreversably in favour of the Council
proposal.

Cheers,

Alex.