CETA

CETA (Canada-EU Trade Agreement) is a far-reaching trade agreement in negotiation since 2009 between Canada and the European Union. In October 2013 an “agreement in principle” was reached and it is currently in a process of ratification.

Only a few days after the rejection by the European Parliament of ACTA, leaks of the CETA’s chapter dedicated to the protection of intellectual property were published, which echoes word for word the worst parts of ACTA, as criminal sanctions and repressive copyright clauses. Also, most analysts see in CETA a rewriting of the OMPI and APIC (OMC) treaties.

Once again, this time through CETA, the European Commission is trying to bypass the democratic process in order to impose repressive measures already rejected by citizens and the European Parliament. Like ACTA, CETA is a major threat to freedom of online expression and creates legal uncertainty for Internet actors.