PLENARY SESSION
Press Release - Fundamental Rights - 03/12/2014 - 12:51
Parliament's consent to EU-US trade deal "could be jeopardized" if mass surveillance by US National Security Agency (NSA) does not stop, MEPs stressed on Wednesday in a resolution on the six-month inquiry package for US mass surveillance systems. The text also calls on the EU to suspend its banking data agreement with the United States and the International Safe Harbor Privacy Principles [1] agreement on personal data protection. The fight against terrorism cannot justify covert and illegal mass surveillance, they added.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Safe_Harbor_Privacy_Principles
The resolution, in which MEPs presented their findings and recommendations to strengthen the protection of the privacy of EU citizens, was supported by 544 votes in favor, 78 against and 60 abstentions. "Snowden's revelations have given us the opportunity to react. "I hope we can turn these reactions into something positive and lasting in Parliament's next term, with a rights and data protection bill that we can all be proud of," said Claude Moraes (S&D, UK), the rapporteur for the study. Committee on Civil Liberties. "This is the only international survey on mass surveillance. "(D) Even the United States Congress has not done any research," he added.
Parliament should refuse to give its final consent to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP[2]) agreement with the US, except αν σεβαστεί πλήρως τα θεμελιώδη δικαιώματα της ΕΕ, τονίζει το ψήφισμα, προσθέτοντας ότι η προστασία των δεδομένων θα πρέπει να αποκλειστεί από τις εμπορικές talks. Η συγκατάθεση αυτή “θα μπορούσε να τεθεί σε κίνδυνο, εφ' όσον οι δραστηριότητες της μαζικής παρακολούθησης και η παρακολούθηση των επικοινωνιών στα θεσμικά όργανα της ΕΕ και τα διπλωματικά διαβήματα δεν σταματήσει πλήρως”, επισημαίνει το κείμενο.
[2] http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/ttip/
MEPs are also calling for an "immediate suspension" of the Safe Harbor privacy policy (voluntary data protection standards for non-EU companies and the transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the US). These principles "do not provide adequate protection for EU citizens", MEPs say, calling on the US to propose new rules for the transfer of personal data that meet EU data protection requirements.
The Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP) [3] should also be suspended until claims that the US authorities have access to EU citizens' bank data outside the agreement are clarified, MEPs insist .
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorist_Finance_Tracking_Program
The European protection of whistleblowers and the EU cloud
The text also calls for a "European whistleblower protection program", which should pay particular attention to the "complexity of complaints in the field of information". EU countries are also being called upon to consider providing international protection for whistleblowers.
In addition, Europe should develop its own cloud and its own solutions information technologys, including cyber security and encryption technologies, to ensure a high level of data protection, the text adds.
The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Poland should clarify the allegations of mass surveillance - including possible agreements between the intelligence services and the telecommunications operators for access to and exchange of personal data and access to the transatlantic cables (see Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe, FLAG [4]) - and their compatibility with Community law, the resolution says.
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiber-Optic_Link_Around_the_Globe
Other EU countries, in particular those participating in the "9 EYES" [5] (United Kingdom, Denmark, France and the Netherlands) and the "14 EYES" (the countries in the "9 EYES" together with Germany, Belgium, Italy , Spain and Sweden) are also called upon to review their national legislation to ensure that their intelligence services are subject to parliamentary and judicial scrutiny and that they comply with their fundamental rights obligations.
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UKUSA_Agr … parties.22
Prehistory
The Committee of Civil Liberties's inquiry into the mass surveillance of EU citizens began in September 2013. A total of 16 hearings have been held in the Commission since then. For more details, please see the relevant information note (link on the right side of the page >>>
Background note on the Civil Liberties Committee inquiryhttp://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20140310BKG38512/html/QA-on-Parliament's-inquiry-into-mass-surveillance-of-EU-citizens).
REF .: 20140307IPR38203
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From: European Parliament / News, "US NSA: stop mass surveillance now or face consequences, MEPs say"
PLENARY SESSION, Press release - Fundamental rights - 12-03-2014 - 12:51
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20140307IPR38203/html/US-NSA-stop-mass-surveillance-now-or-face-consequences-MEPs-say
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