Business welcomes EU signature of ACTA IP treaty

London, 26 January 2012 – ICC UK has today welcomed the EU’s signature of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

Commenting on the development, Andrew Wilson, Director of Policy at ICC UK said: “ACTA is vital tool in the fight against the counterfeiting and piracy which represents a huge drain on the UK economy. It’s welcome news that the EU has now signed the agreement, following in the footsteps of key trading partners such as the US, Korea and Japan.”

“But the agreement still needs to be approved by the European Parliament. We need MEPs to get on with this right away. What’s at stake is a deal capable of boosting competitiveness, protecting jobs and fostering innovation.”

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Notes to editors:

1.  The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is the largest, most representative business organisation in the world. As a global organisation, we work to further international trade by promoting open markets, sensible regulation and the rule of law. Members in the UK include the majority of FTSE-100 companies, many smaller firms, law firms and business associations.

2.  For media enquiries, please contact Andrew Wilson on: +44 (0)20 7838 7458 or +44 (0)7860 560 330.