European Parliament asked anti-terrorism programme suspension and threatened to deny its consent on trade agreement as consequence of American spy activities.
by Emiliano Biaggio
The European Parliament voted today against the United Stated and the NSA mass surveillance programma, calling the European Commission to halt the negotiation Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) togehter with the suspension of other biletaral agreements already in force. MEPs in Strasbourg strongly backed a resolution (544 votes to 78, with 60 abstentions) where is written Parliament should «withhold» its consent to the final TTIP deal with the US unless the country fully respects EU fundamental rights. This consent, is written in the document, «could be endangered as long as blanket mass surveillance activities and the interception of communications in EU institutions and diplomatic representations are not fully stopped». Furthermore, the resolution wants that data protection should be ruled out of the trade talks. MEPs also called for the «immediate suspension» of the Safe Harbour privacy principles (voluntary data protection standards for non-EU companies transferring EU citizens’ personal data to the US). These principles «do not provide adequate protection for EU citizens» stated the text of the Parliament, urging the United States to propose new personal data transfer rules that meet EU data protection requirements. Again, the Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (TFTP) deal should be suspended too, «until allegations that US authorities have access to EU citizens’ bank data outside the agreement are clarified», insisted MEPs.
The resolution also called for a «European whistle-blower protection programme», which should pay particular attention to the «complexity of whistleblowing in the field of intelligence». EU countries are also asked to consider granting whistleblowers international protection from prosecution. According ot the same resolution France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingodm «should clarify» the allegations of mass surveillance - including potential agreements between intelligence services and telecoms firms on access to and exchange of personal data and access to transatlantic cables - and their compatibility with EU laws. Other EU countries, in particular those participating in the "9-eyes" (UK, Denmark, France and the Netherlands) and "14-eyes" arrangements (those countries plus Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Sweden) are also urged to review their national laws to ensure that their intelligence services are subject to parliamentary and judicial oversight and that they comply with fundamental rights obligations.
The European Parliament voted today against the United Stated and the NSA mass surveillance programma, calling the European Commission to halt the negotiation Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) togehter with the suspension of other biletaral agreements already in force. MEPs in Strasbourg strongly backed a resolution (544 votes to 78, with 60 abstentions) where is written Parliament should «withhold» its consent to the final TTIP deal with the US unless the country fully respects EU fundamental rights. This consent, is written in the document, «could be endangered as long as blanket mass surveillance activities and the interception of communications in EU institutions and diplomatic representations are not fully stopped». Furthermore, the resolution wants that data protection should be ruled out of the trade talks. MEPs also called for the «immediate suspension» of the Safe Harbour privacy principles (voluntary data protection standards for non-EU companies transferring EU citizens’ personal data to the US). These principles «do not provide adequate protection for EU citizens» stated the text of the Parliament, urging the United States to propose new personal data transfer rules that meet EU data protection requirements. Again, the Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (TFTP) deal should be suspended too, «until allegations that US authorities have access to EU citizens’ bank data outside the agreement are clarified», insisted MEPs.
The resolution also called for a «European whistle-blower protection programme», which should pay particular attention to the «complexity of whistleblowing in the field of intelligence». EU countries are also asked to consider granting whistleblowers international protection from prosecution. According ot the same resolution France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingodm «should clarify» the allegations of mass surveillance - including potential agreements between intelligence services and telecoms firms on access to and exchange of personal data and access to transatlantic cables - and their compatibility with EU laws. Other EU countries, in particular those participating in the "9-eyes" (UK, Denmark, France and the Netherlands) and "14-eyes" arrangements (those countries plus Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Sweden) are also urged to review their national laws to ensure that their intelligence services are subject to parliamentary and judicial oversight and that they comply with fundamental rights obligations.
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