ACTA: Netherlands and Bulgaria Take a Step Back

The list of European countries that delay the ratification of the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has two new additions: Bulgaria and Netherlands. 

According to The Guardian, in Bulgaria the massive protests are showing their first results, the country’s economy minister, Traicho Traikov, revealing that the agreement encourages Internet surveillance too much and barricades the freedom to download media content. 

The minister said that he would propose that the signing procedure is stopped, at least until the other members of the European Union come to an agreement regarding ACTA.

“Bulgarian society is not ready to accept mechanisms which raise suspicions of violation of the freedom of expression and freedom [on the] internet,” Traikov said.

A report from Radio Netherlands Worldwide states that the Dutch Lower House supports a motion initiated by the Green Left party which says that ACTA should not be signed until it’s thoroughly analyzed to determine exactly the extent of the dangers posed to the privacy of Internet users. 

With these announcements, Bulgaria and Netherlands join Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Latvia as countries that decided to act with caution when it comes to signing the accord.

After the large number of protests that took place across Europe and America in the past few days, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that some of ACTA’s supporters have taken a step back. 

While other European countries are expected to delay the pact’s ratification, the defenders of ACTA don’t show any signs of weakness, still trying to convince world leaders that the treaty is not as bad as everyone thinks.

In the meantime, protests continue all around the world, the map that centralizes the locations of these movements now counting around 300 locations spread out through all the countries of Europe, US, Canada and Mexico.

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