Illegal filesharers should not be disconnected from the internet without facing some sort of court process, the European Commission has suggested.

Viviane Reding, the European Commissioner for Information Society and Media, has spoken out against the Spanish government's plans to cut people off from the web without the involvement of a judge.

She told TorrentFreak: "Spanish measures that allow for the disruption of internet access without a fair hearing before a judge, are certain to clash with the European Union."

Ms Reding added that such disconnections may actually be contrary to the "rights and freedoms which have become part of Europe's values since the French Revolution".

The comments suggest that the UK government's proposed legislation, which runs along similar lines, may face some hurdles before it is introduced.

UK broadband providers including Be and TalkTalk have recently stated their concerns over the plans, which are featured in the newly-published digital economy bill.