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MEPs voted narrowly in favour of an amendment to the Bono Report on the Cultural Industries which calls on the European Commission and EU member states to recognise the huge importance and value of the internet.

"The Internet is a vast platform for cultural expression, access to knowledge, and democratic participation in European creativity, bringing generations together through the information society," the amendment reads, before urging the Commission and member states, "to avoid adopting measures conflicting with civil liberties and human

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rights and with the principles of proportionality, effectiveness and dissuasiveness, such as the interruption of Internet access."

Last year French president Nicolas Sarkozy began moves to disconnect alleged file sharers, with a so-called "three strikes and you're out" approach and the UK government has also said it will take action if ISPs and the music industry cannot come to a voluntary agreement. That now seems more unlikely than ever, given the recent comments by Carphone Warehouse chief executive Charles Dunstone.

Becky Hogge, executive director of the Open Rights Group, said that although the parliament's vote is not binding, it does signify resistance among MEPs to measures that are "disproportionate, lack consumer safeguards and won't stop illicit file sharing".

And MEPs opposition may be significant if, as some fear, Sarkozy uses France's forthcoming EU presidency to implement "three strikes" EU-wide.