Your Government at work - ten months later, and just before a European Parliament election...
So, today I found an email from Proinsias De Rossa (an Irish MEP) in my inbox and, as it had been ten months since I'd fired off my email to him, I had to scratch my head for a moment to remember what had annoyed me so much that I'd actually pressed the send button on my email.
What was it? A proposed regulation that would give my government the power to read my emails, and listen in on any communications I may have online. To which I say to Brussels, are you mad? Have you not had any dealings with the Irish government - the nod, wink, and nudge brigade?
Anyway, here is my email
~~~*~~*~~*~~~~
Dear Mr De Rossa,
It have noticed that the reform of the “European law on electronic communications” (AKA the “Telecoms Package”) will be debated in the European Parliament On Monday (7 July), and I'm concerned that one of the proposed changes to European telecommunications law will allowing the monitoring and blocking of websites and peer-to-peer exchanges by ISPs, in a way that is currently not possible, legally.
These changes will also permit ISPs to sanction users by suspending or terminating Internet access. This new legislation could be willfully abused, as the right to use free software could be curtailed and Internet users could be blocked from lawful activities by mandatory spyware, in the interests of "security".
The proposed copyright amendments would result in the loss of individual freedom and privacy on the Internet - in breach of fundamental principles of human rights law in Europe - as legislation such as this would necessitate the ISP providers to 'spy ' on their users, and collate the information to pass onto other bodies who wouldn't be allowed such access to private iformation in normal circumstances.
I am therefore asking you to drop or reject the amendments related to Intellectual Property Rights, which are completley unrelated to the Telecoms Package.
Yours Sincerely,
[Me ](Dublin, Ireland)
~~~*~~*~~*~~~~
His Reply:
Dear [Me],
Thank you for your email. I am pleased to inform you that I voted in favour of the amendment stating that "no restriction may be imposed on the fundamental rights and freedoms of end users, without a prior ruling by the judicial authorities (...) save when public security is threatened".
This amendment was reinstated by 407 votes in favour with 57 against and 171 abstentions. The full record of the MEPs who were present for this vote and how they voted is available on pages 89-90 of http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+PV+20090506+RES-RCV+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN
This amendment now goes before the Council of Ministers. If Council refuses to accept it, then 'conciliation' negotiations between the two institutions will take place.
I attach for your information a report by the EP's press service on this vote.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Proinsias De Rossa MEP
~~~*~~*~~*~~~~
Keep in mind, that I'm usually quite happy with Proinsias De Rossa's work in Brussels - but from the email's opening sentence, in which he told me was pleased to inform me that he'd voted in favour of the amendment, I knew I was getting a reply from someone who hadn't even bothered reading the first paragraph of my email, never mind the points I'd made.
Word of advice, Mr De Rossa, If you can't be bothered to read what one of your constituents has to say, then don't even bother to send them a cut and paste reply. It's more honest that way.
P.S. I really don't care about how many people voted in favour or against the amendment, I want to know why you voted in favour of it - or was it a cut and paste ballot, too?
What was it? A proposed regulation that would give my government the power to read my emails, and listen in on any communications I may have online. To which I say to Brussels, are you mad? Have you not had any dealings with the Irish government - the nod, wink, and nudge brigade?
Anyway, here is my email
~~~*~~*~~*~~~~
Dear Mr De Rossa,
It have noticed that the reform of the “European law on electronic communications” (AKA the “Telecoms Package”) will be debated in the European Parliament On Monday (7 July), and I'm concerned that one of the proposed changes to European telecommunications law will allowing the monitoring and blocking of websites and peer-to-peer exchanges by ISPs, in a way that is currently not possible, legally.
These changes will also permit ISPs to sanction users by suspending or terminating Internet access. This new legislation could be willfully abused, as the right to use free software could be curtailed and Internet users could be blocked from lawful activities by mandatory spyware, in the interests of "security".
The proposed copyright amendments would result in the loss of individual freedom and privacy on the Internet - in breach of fundamental principles of human rights law in Europe - as legislation such as this would necessitate the ISP providers to 'spy ' on their users, and collate the information to pass onto other bodies who wouldn't be allowed such access to private iformation in normal circumstances.
I am therefore asking you to drop or reject the amendments related to Intellectual Property Rights, which are completley unrelated to the Telecoms Package.
Yours Sincerely,
[Me ](Dublin, Ireland)
~~~*~~*~~*~~~~
His Reply:
Dear [Me],
Thank you for your email. I am pleased to inform you that I voted in favour of the amendment stating that "no restriction may be imposed on the fundamental rights and freedoms of end users, without a prior ruling by the judicial authorities (...) save when public security is threatened".
This amendment was reinstated by 407 votes in favour with 57 against and 171 abstentions. The full record of the MEPs who were present for this vote and how they voted is available on pages 89-90 of http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+PV+20090506+RES-RCV+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN
This amendment now goes before the Council of Ministers. If Council refuses to accept it, then 'conciliation' negotiations between the two institutions will take place.
I attach for your information a report by the EP's press service on this vote.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Proinsias De Rossa MEP
~~~*~~*~~*~~~~
Keep in mind, that I'm usually quite happy with Proinsias De Rossa's work in Brussels - but from the email's opening sentence, in which he told me was pleased to inform me that he'd voted in favour of the amendment, I knew I was getting a reply from someone who hadn't even bothered reading the first paragraph of my email, never mind the points I'd made.
Word of advice, Mr De Rossa, If you can't be bothered to read what one of your constituents has to say, then don't even bother to send them a cut and paste reply. It's more honest that way.
P.S. I really don't care about how many people voted in favour or against the amendment, I want to know why you voted in favour of it - or was it a cut and paste ballot, too?