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CORPORATE EUROPE OBSERVATORY TRADE SECRETS PROPOSAL WITHDRAWN IN FRANCE BUT THREATS REMAIN FROM DRAFT EU DIRECTIVE While the work of investigative and economic affairs journalists across Europe is threatened by the legal uncertainties in a draft EU directive on the illegal acquisition, use and publication of "trade secrets", media professionals in France campaigned and today obtained the withdrawal [2] of a similar proposal in France. The proposal came as a series of amendments on the protection of "trade secrets" within a broader legislative file, the so-called "Loi Macron for activity and growth". In an unprecedented mass mobilisation of the profession, the statement below, signed by hundreds of journalists, had been published widely in French media: HTTP://BLOGS.MEDIAPART.FR/EDITION/LES-INVITES-DE-MEDIAPART/ARTICLE/280115/SECRET-DES-AFFAIRES-INFORMER-N-EST-PAS-UN-DELIT [3] Spearheading the movement of French journalists were the following individuals, whose contact details we are sending to you with their permission: Fabrice Arfi (Médiapart) +33609353636 Laurent Richard (Premières Lignes) +33603858498 Virginie Marquet (Lawyer specialised in press law) +33626954397 The text was also a concern for many other sectors including: trade unions, whistle-blowers, consumer associations, lawyers & magistrates bodies, and anti-corruption organisations, who published the following statement: HTTP://WWW.LIBERATION.FR/DEBATS/2015/01/28/LOI-MACRON-PRISON-POUR-LES-LANCEURS-D-ALERTE-SYNDICALISTES-ET-JOURNALISTES_1190584 [4] The fight is however only beginning, because a draft EU directive currently being discussed by the European Parliament contains very comparable problems: a very broad definition of "trade secrets" copy-pasted from the TRIPS agreement, a very broad definition of "illegal acquisition, use and publication", weak exceptions to protect journalists, whistle-blowers and trade unions, and dangerous omissions (regulatory data). However, the heavy fines considered in the French proposals are not contained in the draft EU directive. Last December, CEO and several other EU-level organisations published the following statement about the EU's trade secrets directive, calling for greater protections for consumers, journalists, whistle-blowers, researchers and workers and for the draft directive to be radically amended. HTTP://CORPORATEEUROPE.ORG/POWER-LOBBIES/2014/12/EU-TRADE-SECRETS-DIRECTIVE-THREAT-HEALTH-ENVIRONMENT-FREE-SPEECH-AND-WORKER [5] We hope you can join forces with French journalists to counter the threats currently contained in this draft EU directive for the media and society as a whole. With best regards, CORPORATE EUROPE OBSERVATORY DATE: 30/01/2015 CONTACT me...@corporateeurope.org tel: + 32 2893 0930 Corporate Europe Observatory Rue d'Edimbourg 26 Brussels Belgium www.corporateeurope.org [6]@corporateeurope [7] - facebook [8] CORPORATE EUROPE OBSERVATORY (CEO) CHALLENGES THE INFLUENCE OF BIG BUSINESS AND BUSINESS LOBBY GROUPS IN EU POLICY MAKING. Corporate Europe Observatory, Rue d'Edimbourg 26 1050 Brussels Belgium Tel: +32 (0)2 893 0930, e-mail: c...@corporateeurope.org http://www.corporateeurope.org [9] Not interested anymore? Click here [10] or send an e-mail Links: ------ [1] http://media.corporateeurope.org/civicrm/mailing/view?reset=1&id=215 [2] http://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2015/01/30/secret-des-affaires-le-gouvernement-retire-son-projet_4566657_3234.html [3] http://blogs.mediapart.fr/edition/les-invites-de-mediapart/article/280115/secret-des-affaires-informer-n-est-pas-un-delit [4] http://www.liberation.fr/debats/2015/01/28/loi-macron-prison-pour-les-lanceurs-d-alerte-syndicalistes-et-journalistes_1190584 [5] http://corporateeurope.org/power-lobbies/2014/12/eu-trade-secrets-directive-threat-health-environment-free-speech-and-worker [6] http://www.corporateeurope.org [7] https://twitter.com/corporateeurope [8] https://www.facebook.com/CorporateEuropeObservatory [9] http://www.corporateeurope.org/ [10] http://media.corporateeurope.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=841&qid=65449&h=66e1a67db05cb83f
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