Brussels, 20/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - MEPs agree there is a need for the EU to protect itself against programmes such as PRISM, set up by the US National Security Agency for surveillance of internet communications. On Wednesday, the civil liberties committee at the European Parliament asked for more safeguards to protect the rights of Europeans. Several members of the EPP even gave their support to Article 42 and to a specific clause relating to the surveillance of communications on the internet, an article that frames the transfer of data to third countries, which had been altered under pressure from several lobbies, American lobbies in particular.
Axel Voss (EPP, Germany), joining forces with Marielle Gallo of France, Lara Corni of Italy and Sean Kelly of Ireland, all three of whom are the authors of an own-initiative opinion in sectoral committee, said (our translation): “Article 42 provides for essential protection for European citizens by stating that third countries cannot have access to European data without a clear basis in national legislation. It prevents third countries from gaining access to data either deliberately or randomly”. The EPP has, however, hitherto been divided over reform of data protection and “some MEPs have even hinted that reform imposes too many constraints on business”, some sources say ironically, expressing astonishment at the slowness and the difficulties of the civil liberties committee, which now does not envisage a vote until September or October. Article 42 would not, apparently, contribute a great deal to the debate and would most probably not help to avoid programmes such as PRISM, the same sources say, albeit welcoming this public commitment on the part of MEPs in favour of a high level of data protection.
Véronique Mathieu (EPP, France), who also stressed it was necessary to speed up work on the new European legislation, said: “What is happening now is really shocking. (…) We cannot allow Americans to spy on EU citizens (…) even if it is a security matter”.
The transatlantic group of experts announced in Dublin, on Friday 14 June, by the European and American representatives, also aroused curiosity among MEPs. “Are those experts known already? When are they meeting?” asked Judith Sargentini (Greens/EFA, Netherlands), a press release reports. Timothy Kirkhope (ECR, UK), who is rapporteur on European PNR, called for an adequate investigation in order to shed light on the facts and details. He welcomed the use of IT instruments for combating terrorism, on condition that this is done “in a lawful way”. Commissioner Viviane Reding confirmed that not all these questions had been answered in Ireland, and announced that the first meeting of the group of experts should take place in July. Reding and her counterpart for home affairs, Cecilia Malmström, wrote to the US authorities again on Wednesday asking them to provide real written answers to the European executive, in addition to what was said by the minister, Eric Holder, on Friday last in Dublin, regarding the objectives and the scope covered by the PRISM programme. (SP/transl.jl)