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INTERNET

Berlin defies EU over copyright deal

Germany on Friday defied the European Union by refusing to sign the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), meant to unify copyright law internationally. Massive anti-ACTA protests are planned for Saturday.

Berlin defies EU over copyright deal
Photo: DPA

The international agreement is backed by the United States and Japan, and was signed on January 26 by the EU and 22 of its 27 member states. One of its main targets is clamping down on illegal internet piracy by asserting rights to intellectual property in the digital world.

The German Foreign Ministry announced that it was only delaying the signing for formal reasons, but the decision is likely to hearten German activists who fear the agreement will curtail internet freedoms worldwide.

Protesters are organizing anti-ACTA demonstrations in 60 German towns on Saturday, and are expecting thousands of people to attend.

Three of Germany’s political parties have come out against ACTA – the Greens, the socialist Left party and the Pirates, whose major campaign platform is guarding internet freedoms. Some members of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) have also voiced opposition.

Michael Kretschmer, internet policy spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has criticized the lack of transparency in the way the negotiations are being carried out. He said it did not inspire trust among the population, “if these contracts come about like secret agreements,” he said Friday in Berlin.

Poland and the Czech Republic have also refused to ratify the agreement so far. Both countries have also seen major protests in the streets.

DPA/The Local/bk

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EUROPE

Brussels warns Italy to rein in public spending amid pandemic

Most EU member states should continue to invest to support the continent's economic recovery, but heavily-indebted Italy should rein in public spending, the European Commission warned on Wednesday.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi expects the country's GDP to recover in the coming year. Photo: Alessandra Tarantino / POOL / AFP

“The economy is bouncing back from the recession, driven by a rebound in demand across Europe,” EU executive vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis said.

“But we are not out of the woods yet. The economic outlook remains riddled with uncertainty,” he said, warning that the coronavirus is still spreading, prices are rising and supply chains face disruption.

Despite these unpredictable threats, European officials predict a strong recovery, and want eurozone governments to maintain their “moderately supportive fiscal stance” to support investment.

EXPLAINED: How Italy’s proposed new budget could affect you

Italy, however, remains a worry. Its public debt passed 155 percent of its GDP last year, and Brussels is worried that it is still budgeting to spend too much next year.

“In order to contribute to the pursuit of a prudent fiscal policy, the Commission invites Italy to take the necessary measures within the national budgetary process to limit the growth of nationally financed current expenditure,” the commission report said.

The commission did not say by how much Italy’s spending plans should be reduced, and its recommendation is not binding on the government.

The European Union suspended its fiscal discipline rules last year, allowing eurozone members to boost their public spending to help their economies survive the Covid-19 pandemic.

But the European commissioner for the economy, former Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni, said governments should now “gradually pivot fiscal measures towards investments”.

“Policies should be differentiated across the euro area to take into account the state of the recovery and fiscal sustainability,” he said.

“Reducing debt in a growth-friendly manner is not necessarily an oxymoron.”

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, a former European Central Bank chief, has said Italy’s economy is recovering after the pandemic-induced recession.

Draghi forecast economic growth this year of “probably well over six percent” in a statement on October 28th.

Italy’s GDP rate grew by 2.6% in the third quarter of 2021.

While economists don’t expect Italian GDP to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels until 2022, ratings agency Standard & Poor has revised its outlook for Italian debt from stable to positive.

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