[Översättning av FFII release http://kwiki.ffii.org/Cons041213En] ----------------------- == EU Council Presidency Schedules Software Patent Directive for Adoption at Fishery Meeting Ministerrådets diplomater kommer att ta beslut på tisdag eller onsdag hurvida ministerrådets överenskommelse om mjukvarupatent från maj 2004 kommer att tas upp på kommande fiskeri eller miljörådsmöten, de sista mötena för i år. Detta i motsats till färsk information från den belgiska regeringen, holländska ordförandeskapet försöker fortfarande få igenom texten från i våras som ett "A-item", dvs. utan diskussion och röstningsförfarande. De publicerade motiveringarna för att förkasta EU-patrlamentets omfattande förändringar spänner från det sedan länge kullkastade "[TRIPS kräver mjukvarupatent http://swpat.ffii.org/analysis/trips/index.en.html]" till det rent absurda "politiker skall inte ändra på etablerad praxis". En nyligt publicerad [agenda för rådet http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/04/st15/st15967.en04.pdf] (sidan2, punkt5) visar att ett antagande av rådeys text från Maj tas upp av [Mertens-gruppen http://www.ukrep.be/jargon.html] på tisdag. Denna grupp förbereder Corepers möten, vilka i sin tur förbereder Rådets möten. De enda kvarvarande mötena för i år under det holländska ordförandeskapet är miljörådet den 20 december och ett jordbruks och fiskerirådsmöte den 21-22 december. Det holländska ordförandeskapet har använt sig av diplomatiska påtryckningar för att [underkuva Polen http://kwiki.ffii.org/Nlpl0411En]. Detta trots att alla vet att varken den polska regeringen eller dess näringsliv stöder direktivtexten, men det holländska ordförandeskapet hävdar, pga. [någon sorts formalia http://kwiki.ffii.org/ConsReversEn], att polen måste rösta "Ja" eller instämma för en formellt antagande utan röstningsförfarande. Det har dock påpekats tidigare och verifierats med ministerrådets egen publika information, att ett land har rättigheten att kräva att en direktivtext skall behandlas som ett "B-item" (dvs. som en diskussionspunkt). Laura Creighton, IT-entreprenör, riskkapitalist och vice ordförande av FFII kommenterar: "Before today it was possible for generous people to look charitably at this text as an example of a tragic mistake, not malice. But not with this last-minute maneuvering. Only the most committed opponent to the democratic process would believe that the proper response to the widespread consensus that there is something profoundly wrong with the Council's text, is to race it through with an A-item approval the week before Christmas in a *Fisheries* Council Meeting. The bad smell coming from Brussels has nothing to do with the fish." Mag.Othmar Karas, parlamentariker för österrikes folkparti (ÖVP) och vice ordförande av europeiska folkpartiet (EPP) inom EU-parlamentet, kommenterade nyligt ministerrådets beteende i [en pressrelease http://www.othmar-karas.at/ok.php?ok=new_presse_zeigen.php&id=226]: /"The planned directive on software patents no longer has a majority in the Council. The political agreement of May is outdated, both because of the new voting weights stipulated by the Nice treaty and because of the changes of position in Poland, the Netherlands and Germany." I [ett utkast http://kwiki.ffii.org/Cons041203En] av ordförandeskapet till skäl försöker man motivera sitt handlande med att: -Ett stort antal av parlamentets ändringar "inte var förenliga med etablerad praxis" eller "skulle vara oförenliga med internationella åttaganden under [TRIPS avtalet http://swpat.ffii.org/analysis/trips/index.en.html]". Hartmut Pilch, ordförande FFII noterar: "The Dutch presidency seems to be avoiding conflicts by preparing an explanatory document that explains as little as possible. They do not explain which kinds of patent claims should be acceptable and which not, which interests are served thereby and which not and why. They merely point to the European Patent Office as the authority. One may wonder whether this is the intention of a qualified majority. Also, the Dutch presidency adds the TRIPs fallacy. They could just as well have added a statement that the earth is flat." Jonas Maebe, Belgiska FFII lägger till (med viss sarkasm): "One group of amendments from the European Parliament is dismissed by the Council with the simple justification that they "did not reflect established practice". Let's hope for the Council's sake that the European Parliament does not ever again get the idea that they can submit proposals which actually change things." Det är dock fortfarande inte känt hurvida polen kommer att böja sig för påtryckningarna. Polska diplomater har, ända sedan maj 2004, motsagt sin regerings upprepade opposition mot direktivförslaget. De har hela tiden lutat sig emot att brott mot oskrivna diplomatiska lagar skulle bli ofördelaktigt för Polen. Mer läsning * 2004-12-14 [Codeliberty.org joins FFII in urgent appeal for democracy http://codeliberty.org/?fullstory=00013] * 2004-12-07 [Belgium confirms abstention regarding Council text from May http://kwiki.ffii.org/Belg041207En] (and remarks that the common position will [not be finalised under the Dutch presidency http://kwiki.ffii.org/Delay041207En] ) * 2004-07-02 [Motion by the Parliament of The Netherlands http://kwiki.ffii.org/NlVote040701En] Fler kommentarer [Andre Rebentisch http://kwiki.ffii.org/AndreRebentischEn]: As we found out it is [no ius nondum to change your council voting http://kwiki.ffii.org/ConsReversEn]. In fact there is no formal obligation to stick to a "political agreement" that is obsolete. Adoption of obsolete agreements in fact contradicts the whole concept of political agreements as an informal part of the decision making process. However the Nl presidency insists on non-existing council rules. They are doing the exact opposite of what [a 2/3 majority of their Parliament asked them to do http://kwiki.ffii.org/NlVote040701En]. Jozef Halbersztadt: Jozef Halbersztadt works as a patent examiner at Polish Patent Office. The Polish Patent Office has resisted pressure from the European Patent Office to allow software patents and is one of the most fervent opponents of the Council's text, which it fears would plunge it into a quagmire of broad and trivial patents on abstract subject matter. Halbersztadt has watched the EU developments for many years and draws the following analogy to the Ukrainian presidential elections: "We could see our fight in terms of Ukrainian presidential election. Yanukovych was picked as a candidate by the current president, Kuchma, in return for guarantees to the president and his allies of immunity from prosecution for all his crimes, committed while in power, as well as protection of their assets gained through manipulated privatisation. The Ukrainian people were fed up and voted him down. And they were denied their victory by a group of crooks. Our scenario is similar. We have won in the European Parliament. We are now denied victory by manipulation and irregularities in the Council. The Kuchmas of the EU don't like consultation with national parliaments, recounting in the Council or restarting in the EP, nor any other open approach to problems. The main difference is that they --- hopefully --- aren't considering deployment of troops and use of force." Reaktioner i media * 2004-12-13 EU Heise: [More Manoevering by EU Council of Ministers Regarding Software Patent Directive http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/54199] * 2004-12-13 EU Slashdot: [Software Patents Circumvent European Parliament http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/13/1248202&tid=155&tid=219] * 2004-12-13 EU !ZDNet.co.uk: [Patent directive faces fishy future http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,39020381,39180705,00.htm]