Brussels, 04/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - Although MEPs were unable to have much of an effect on the outcome of transatlantic trade talks - some wanted talks to be deferred - they nonetheless decided in Strasbourg on Thursday to launch an in-depth inquiry into the large scale bugging carried out by the American National Security Agency (NSA) and to unveil the results of that inquiry at the end of the year. The special committee, that will be steered by the civil liberties committee and should, among other things ,assess how the personal data of Europeans is affected, also received the go-ahead on Thursday from the Conference of Presidents.
During a debate on Wednesday, a large majority of MEPs were able to state the disappointment and annoyance that they have felt over the past few weeks regarding the American practice of using the PRISM programme aimed at the internet giants and potentially all European web users, and also the bugging of European capitals and diplomats. Speaking on Wednesday, Manfred Weber (EPP, Germany) said such practice was “unacceptable”. “You don't spy on your friends”, he said, deploring the fact that only American nationals can appeal to American justice and not Europeans. Dimitrios Droutsas (S&D, Greece), who is the rapporteur on one of the two texts of the reform underway on rules for the protection of data, said the listening-in practices should, if confirmed, stop immediately as it gives a very bad picture of the Obama administration, similar to that which was detrimental to the Bush administration. Sophie In't Veld (ALDE, Netherlands) said it was time the Obama administration came up with some answers for the 500 million Europeans and “not just to Mrs Merkel”. The Parliament, she says, should also, under these circumstances, analyse the validity of the PNR and SWIFT agreements already negotiated with Washington.
Although MEPs did agree with each other in their official protests, they were nonetheless very divided over the outcome of talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the first round of which is scheduled to take place in Washington on Monday 8 July. Socialists and Greens had thus submitted amendments, asking for talks to be deferred until the United States has given sufficient guarantees regarding the data protection of Europeans. However, for the ALDE Group, slowing down the free-trade agreement is not the right answer. “Using this situation as a pretext to break off talks on TTIP is a serious mistake. Transatlantic free trade will give the impetus needed for our economy and create thousands of jobs. Talks should therefore be continued but we cannot sign anything without clarification regarding cyber surveillance”, (our translation throughout) In't Veld said.
Thursday midday, MEPs therefore rejected any suspension of the talks and simply pointed out, in the resolution adopted, that Union standards on data protection should not be jeopardised by the trade agreement between the EU and the United States. This was a disappointment for the Greens/EFA and for Daniel Cohn-Bendit who felt the “European Parliament has today missed an opportunity to put words into deeds. The Conservatives and the Social Democrats say this is a scandal but nonetheless refuse to vote on suspending the talks. Suspension would, however, allow a clear political signal to be sent to the American administration and to the European leaders”.
In the text adopted by 483 votes to 98 and 65 abstentions, MEPs expressed “serious concern about the PRISM programme and other surveillance programmes” and called on the US authorities to provide them with “all information on these disclosures as soon as possible”. The Parliament is also concerned about allegations regarding similar surveillance programmes that are said to be conducted in certain member states, such as the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands and Poland, and urges them to examine the compatibility of such programmes with Community law.
MEPs also alluded to the situation of Edward Snowden, the former CIA employee who was at the origin of all these revelations. Despite official reactions, no member states have been willing to take him in. They nonetheless felt it is imperative to have procedures allowing whistle blowers to denounce serious violations of fundamental rights and that it is important to give those persons protection when they need it, including at international level.
For the rest, MEPs reiterated the need for member states to finalise reform of personal data protection (reform that is just as slow getting through the EP), and the need for the EU to resume its discussions with the United States in order to finalise a framework agreement on data protection. The day before, Reding, who was in charge of reform of the 1995 directive, had pointed out the extent to which time played in favour of those opposed to these new protection rules, underlining that the various spying scandals should serve as a wake-up call for Europe. The Luxembourg commissioner also announced she had received the written agreement of her US counterpart, Eric Holder, for setting up the famous expert group on PRISM and on the impact that the programme would have on European citizens' data, as evoked in Dublin on 14 June. The group will meet in July and the Commission will report to the Council and Parliament in October, Reding said, adding, on the basis of her discussions with Holder, that the United States was taking the matter “very seriously”. (SP/transl.jl)