As an EU citizen myself I think the EP is pretty much the only governing body that I vote for that I can actually trust, except maybe for my local municipality. I thanked the MEPs I voted for the last time they turned ACTA down, I should do it again.
It's sad though: the EP is also probably the most powerless body you/we vote for. It's trying to find and flex its muscles wherever it can, but the truth is that most of the time it's just a rubber-stamping body for policies pushed by the Commission and the Council.
As for Ars, probably subscribing: http://arstechnica.com/subscriptions/