New ACTA Leak: Denmark Does Not Support Transparency

Throughout the debate over ACTA transparency (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement), many countries have taken public positions that they support release of the actual text, but that other countries do not. Since full transparency requires consensus of all the ACTA partners, the text simply can't be released until everyone is in agreement. Of course, those same countries hasten to add that they can't name who opposes ACTA transparency, since that too is secret.

In an important new leak from the Netherlands (Dutch, English translation), a Dutch memorandum reporting back on the Mexico ACTA negotiation round names, pointing specifically to which countries support releasing the text and which do not. According to the Dutch memo, the UK has played a lead role in making the case for full disclosure of the documents. However, the memo indicates that several countries are not fully supportive including Belgium, Portugal, Germany, and Denmark. Of these four countries, the Dutch believe that Denmark is the most inflexible on the issue.

The memo also provides additional new information on the substance of the Mexico meeting. It confirms that countries are still not willing to make significant concessions. The countries are closing in on agreement on the border measures chapter, but are finding disagreements on civil enforcement due to differing legal systems. There is still no agreement on transit shipments or exports, nor on the scope of the treaty (EU continuing to push for broader coverage).

This is an important leak, since it provides at least one perspective on who remains a barrier to ACTA transparency. Those in the U.S., South Korea, Singapore, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, and Denmark should be demanding answers from their leaders.

From here