Brussels, 22/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - “This adoption is a victory for democracy, for European citizens, for basic rights and for the twenty-five Member States of the EU”, declared Commissioner Frattini on Tuesday after the JHA Council approved the directive on telecommunication data retention (EUROPE 9136). The agreement, which was approved in the first reading by the European Parliament (EUROPE 9089), will oblige all operators to retain data from telephone and email communications, the use of which proved essential in the enquiries into the perpetrators behind the London bombings of July 2005. “This is a major step not only in the fight against terrorism (…) but also against paedophilia, child pornography and trafficking in human beings”, said Franco Frattini, adding that “the Commission, the Parliament and the Council have sent out a clear signal to anyone who wishes to destroy the fundamental principles on which the EU is built”. In general terms, the directive constitutes a minimum level, which Member States may go beyond if they wish to. Key data from telephone, email and internet telephony communications must be retained for 6 to 24 months, with some exceptions. This does not include the content, but rather the date, time, place and numbers involved in the communication. All telephone calls are included, even those which do not connect, but only those operators which already store this kind of data will be obliged to supply them to investigators. The principle of national autonomy was maintained in terms of costs and in the definition of “serious criminal offences”. The deadline for transposition of the directive in the Member States was set at 18 months for telephone communication data and 36 months (optional) for emails.