ACTA before the European Parliament
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) was rejected by the European Parliament on 4 July 2012, by 478 votes to 39, with 165 abstentions. Parliament could not amend the ACTA, but only approve or reject it. Its rejection means that neither the EU nor its individual member states can join the agreement.
Under EU Treaty articles 207 and 218, most international agreements need Parliament's consent to enter into force. Equally, all EU countries need to ratify them.