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

[Alex Hudson]

On Sun, 2004-07-11 at 21:59 +0100, Ralph Janke wrote:
> 1) I believe the lobbying efforts should happen everywhere possible. I 
> would also suggest to start to lobby professional
> associations with our points. Especially SME associations must be 
> convinced that MH's nonsense is not to be believed.
> However, we should lobby all kinds of professional associations, esp. in 
> the engineering and computing area.

Indeed. The BCS have been conspicuously silent, although I'm not sure
it's really their field per se. I know some people have been in touch
with the Federation of Small Businesses, but I don't get the impression
they are going to be enlightened on this issue.

> 2) I haven't looked up yet in which are patent law falls within the EU
> treaties. It makes a different if a directive needs only consultation
> by the EUP, or if it needs agreement. However, EUP's agreement also
> makes a difference about what majority the Coucil must have to show in
> order to pass a directive.

I'm fairly sure that there is a grain of truth in what is being said,
and that grain is this: I don't think new amendments are possible in the
second reading. However, I *did* think it would be possible for the
Parliament to re-introduce amendments that the Council removed. However,
the process seems opaque at the best of times, so I could well be wrong.

Cheers,

Alex.