Criminal measures to enforce intellectual property rights

30.1.2008

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0541/08
by Nicola Zingaretti (PSE)
to the Council

On 25 April 2007 Parliament adopted the report on the amended proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on criminal measures aimed at ensuring the enforcement of intellectual property rights (COM(2006)0168 — C6-0233/2005 — 2005/0127(COD)).

On 23 October 2007 the Court of Justice published its ruling in Case C‑440/05, in which it found that the Community legislator may impose effective, proportional and dissuasive criminal penalties on Member States in order to guarantee the full effectiveness of the rules it lays down.

Given the need for urgent action by the EU in response to the increasingly systematic violation of copyright by some Internet users, can the Council provide a time frame for discussion of the directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on criminal measures aimed at ensuring the enforcement of intellectual property rights?

OJ C 291, 13/11/2008