EU reaches draft deal over Internet spat

Apparently, the European Union has reached a draft deal to resolve a spat holding up a sweeping reform of the bloc's telecom sector. The battle over handling copyright abuse has emerged as a final sticking point between EU states and the European Parliament, which have a joint say on the reform. Parliament appears to have won the battle with EU states by insisting that consumers should have the freedom to access the Internet enshrined in the body of the reform. Cutting off Internet access, such as for suspected illegal downloading of copyright material, could only be done with the agreement of an impartial and independent tribunal, as outlined under the European Convention of Human Rights. The compromise is seen as using broader language than previously and drops a reference to the need for a judicial ruling for cutting off Internet access.