Brussels, 08/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 8 July, the European Parliament (EP) gave wide majority approval to the new counter-terrorism Swift agreement on the transfer of banking information to the United States. The agreement, signed on 28 June, was approved in Strasbourg by 484 votes to 109 with 12 abstentions, going with the recommendation of Alexander Alvaro (ALDE, Germany). The agreement will allow Washington to continue to have access to Swift network data, by means of its Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP) (see EUROPE 10175 and 10176). The EP rejected the previous agreement in February, but has since negotiated a number of safeguards and succeeded in getting the EU to work on its own “TFTP” from the end of this year. The EPP, S&D, ALDE and ECR groups voted for the agreement, while the Greens/EFA, GUE/NGL and some of the EFD voted against.
In a message from the White House, US President Barack Obama personally welcomed the vote which, once the agreement comes into force, will restore the TFTP after a six-month hiatus. “The threat of terrorism faced by the United States and the European Union continues and, with this agreement, all of our citizens will be safer,” he said, noting that the programme had been able to furnish vital information in investigations. “This new, legally binding agreement reflects significant additional data privacy safeguards, but still retains the effectiveness and integrity of this indispensible counter-terrorism program. … We are determined to protect citizens of all nations while upholding fundamental rights,” he added. “Today's vote in the European Parliament hopefully brings the Swift affair to an end,” said EP President Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland) after the session in Strasbourg. “The final agreement meets the European Parliament's key concerns on several important fronts, including the procedural rights of EU citizens, and the general proportionality and reciprocity of arrangements,” he said. Most groups in the EP, with the exceptions of the Greens and GUE, shared the president's opinion. It was pointed out that to prevent any future mishaps, the Council and Commission would have to treat the EP as an equal partner at all stages of negotiation and take serious account of its views. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso also hailed the Parliament vote. “We have reached a very good agreement, which respects the right balance between the need to guarantee the security of citizens against the threat of terrorism and the need to guarantee their fundamental rights and civil liberties,” he stated, noting that the agreement was of key importance to counter-terrorism policies on both sides of the Atlantic. Cecilia Malmström, who masterfully led the negotiations which resulted in this agreement said: “I am happy and relieved by this plenary session vote, with 80% of MEPs voting in favour”. It was, she went on, “a great victory” for all EU institutions because “we have managed to negotiate a new agreement in record time and one which will enhance the fight against terrorism while respecting the rights of European citizens”.
The agreement will come into force on 1 August and will run for five years. Thereafter it will be renewable annually. The EU and the US will assess how well the safeguards and monitoring systems are working no later than six months after the agreement comes into force. Malmström stated that she would very shortly begin work on an impact assessment with a view to setting up a European TFTP. The EU wants to take back its independence, ultimately not having to send unsorted data to the US. The commissioner announced that she intended to present a communication on a European TFTP at the end of this year or the start of next. If governments wish, such a programme could be up and running within three to five years, the Spanish Presidency calculated. (B.C./transl.rt)