The plurilateral ACTA process is coming to an end. In the next step, the European Parliament will exercise its new treaty powers to first decide whether or not to ask the Court if ACTA is compatible with the Treaties, and after that to decide whether or not to give or withhold consent to the agreement. These two important decisions need thorough analysis and public scrutiny since by any standard (democratic or otherwise) ACTA must meet the highest "gold standard" to deserve ratification by its Parties.

European Digital Rights is one of the most active and expert-driven digital civil rights organisations in Europe. EDRi has worked in parallel with the Parliament's ACTA decisions from the very beginning and in the course of events, discovered shortcomings in both process and in content to the extent that a complaint for maladministration may be filed with the EU Ombudsman and in depth analysis has shown that ACTA indeed is not compatible with the Treaties.

This workshop will let EDRi co-workers Joe McNamee and Marie Humeau explain the justification for their complaint and the reasoning behind their analysis. The Greens/EFA Group is very happy to be the host once more of a meeting where critical voices to ACTA can be heard in full and to the end.

08h30 - 08h45 Coffee and Snakes

opening MEP Schlyter

Treats form Karsmakers will be provided on a first come first serve basis to warm up for this early event :-)

08h45 - 09h10 EDRi's Access to ACTA document requests - Implications and State of Play

MEP Sargentini

Joe MacNamee will explain the how, when and why of the efforts of EDRi to have access to ACTA preparatory works, which confirmatory applications have been filed, to what extent the efforts have been successful, implications and possible outcomes and actions.

09h10 - 09h40 EDRi on ACTA

MEP Lichtenberger

Marie Humeau will give EDRi's answer to a number of questions on ACTA which need to be answered before EP decides on giving or withholding consent:

• whether ACTA encourages Fundamental Rights violations by and in third countries?
• whether ACTA forces investment in internet technologies to protect various interests such as copyright holders (filtering, DPI, blocking)?
• whether ACTA opens up for internet service providers to use those technologies to interfere with traffic for their own business purposes?
• whether ACTA will be asking signatory states to promote to undefined systems where rightholders and internet providers will enforce the law?
• whether ACTA supports the same informal arrangements that are used in China both for censorship and for protectionism?
• whether ACTA promotes a policy which is detrimental to international trade by "normalising" making intermediaries gatekeepers to markets?

09h40 - 10h00 Referral of ACTA to the ECJ

MEP Albrecht

Joe and Marie will give an account of the state of play with regards to the option that 74 MEPs tables a resolution to refer ACTA to the ECJ whether the agreement is compatible the Treaties.

Closing of the Workshop by Eva/Jan/Carl