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EU legally refers ACTA to European Court of Justice

BRUSSELS, April 4 (KUNA) -- The European Union Wednesday announced that it has taken the next step in the process of referring the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) by agreeing on the legal submission to be put before the ECJ.
"I am very pleased that we are now one step closer to ensuring clarity on ACTA," said EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht in a statement.
Last February, the EU suspended the ratification of ACTA and referred the matter to the ECJ following widespread protests by Europeans who said that it violates their rights.
Critics of ACTA maintain that it would restrict free speech and access to information.
"Most of the criticism against ACTA, expressed by people across Europe, focused on the potential harm it could have on our fundamental rights. So, a referral will allow for Europe's top court to independently clarify the legality of this agreement," noted De Gucht.
De Gucht said he hopes that the European Parliament will respect the European Court of Justice and await its opinion before determining its own position on ACTA.
The European Parliament is to vote on the issue at its June session. (end) nk.sd KUNA 041757 Apr 12NNNN