Brussels, 30/08/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 27 August, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström announced the appointment of a temporary independent controller to supervise the searches being carried out in the framework of the Swift/TFTP (Terrorist Finance Tracking Program). “This person is responsible on an interim basis for the oversight and monitoring of financial payment messaging and related data, which are necessary for the purpose of the prevention, investigation, detection, or prosecution of terrorism or terrorist financing”, said Malmström, in a press release. The EU/US agreement on the transfer of Swift banking data for the purposes of the fight against terrorism entered into force on 1 August, having been approved by the European Parliament (EUROPE 10177). By virtue of this agreement, “the overseer is in charge of scrupulously monitoring the data searches to ensure that they are strictly limited to counter-terrorism purposes and that citizens' privacy and data are protected”, the commissioner pointed out. No transfer of any data took place between the entry into force of the agreement and the appointment of the European controller, who is based in Washington and started work last Friday. The controller's name cannot be divulged for reasons of security. The appointment of a “permanent” independent controller is currently being prepared. This appointment will be made “urgently” in accordance with article 12 of the agreement between the two parties. To this end, the Commission has launched a selection procedure to fill a post of administrator within the Directorate General for Home Affairs. The deadline for applications is 15 September. The independent controller designate will be responsible for re-examining, in real time and retrospectively, the searches made on the data provided, asking for the searches and, if required, requesting additional justification of a link with terrorism. He or she will be able to block searches which appear to violate article 5 of the agreement. (B.C./transl.fl)