Poland Blocks EU Software Directive

According to the "EDRI-gram" biweekly newsletter about digital civil rights in Europe (Number 2.25, 29 December 2004), thanks to the last-minute arrival ofthe Polish secretary of state of Science and Information Technology at theEU Council of Agriculture and Fishery on 20 December, the European Software Directive proposal could not be adopted without voting. Mr Wlodzimierz Marcinski formally demanded more time for Poland to deliver a constructive unilateral declaration. The delay opens new possibilities for the national parliaments, especiallyin Poland, Germany and the Netherlands, to re-negotiate the points of view of their Ministers of Economical Affairs.

So far the European ministers have ignored most of the amendments of the European Parliament in the first reading, and "seem to be heading towards a frontal collision with the Parliament in the second reading. In such a second reading, Parliament has much less powers to amend and improve onthe proposal."

The latest version of the Council proposal on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions (18.11.2004) is available here.

European Digital Rights was founded in June 2002. Currently 17 privacy and civil rights organisations from 11 different countries in Europe have EDRI membership. Statutory membership is restricted to not-for-profit, non-governmental organisations whose goals include the defence and promotion of civil rights in the field of information- and communication technology. Organisations that wish to join should contact European Digital Rights via or one of its members.