Socialist MEP Nicola Zingaretti, who is in charge of the adoption of the new rules in the European Parliament, sent a letter to the Council at the beginning of February asking member states to "provide a timeframe for discussion" of the directive on criminal measures aimed at ensuring the enforcement of intellectual property rights.
The move was intended to stimulate the debate among member states that have been dragging their feet on the issue. Indeed, more than two years after the Commission's proposal, the Council has not yet approached the topic, although it needs to give the proposal the green light to transform it into a legislative act. However, some member states are reluctant to go further with European rules which are meant to harmonise areas traditionally reserved for national authorities.
In his letter, Zingaretti asked the Council to take "urgent action" to address the "increasingly systematic violation of copyright by some Internet users".
