EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Early Thursday morning the European Parliament and EU member states finally reached a deal over a long-delayed telecoms package when MEPs dropped their opposition to French-style internet `three-strikes' laws aimed at illegal internet downloaders.

In a major reversal of the parliament's position for much of the last year, MEPs in behind-closed-doors negotiations with the Council of Ministers, representing the member states, embraced new language in a compromise text that no longer requires that only judicial authorities be allowed to cut off internet access.

The deal is a major reversal of the parliament's position for much of the last year

Rather than requiring that a judge alone be the authority to order a severing of the internet connection, the compromise text reads that only a "prior fair and impartial procedure"is necessary, a phrasing that is sufficiently ambiguous that has allowed both sides to claim a win.

The Greens, who had led the battle against internet cut-off in the parliament, called the result a clear victory.