Slovenia freezes ACTA ratification

(LJUBLJANA) - Slovenia's centre-right government on Thursday froze the ratification of the controversial anti-online piracy pact ACTA until the European Union reaches a common position on the issue.

"We have decided to freeze the ratification since the debate on ACTA is continuing within the European Union," government spokesman Anze Logar told journalists.

"It would be senseless to prejudge the outcome of that debate."

Slovenia's former centre-left government was among the 22 nations of the 27-member European Union to sign the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement in January, before a new government took over.

The United States, Japan and Canada were also among the signatories.

In February, the European Commission asked the European Court of Justice to rule on the legality of the controversial treaty covering copyright, counterfeiting and Internet freedom.