Reding: NSA, friends don't spy on friends. Europe, let's team up for our own SPOOK CLUB
EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has re-floated the idea the European nations should team up to create their own intelligence service by 2020, as a counterbalance against overarching US spying. In an interview with Greek daily Naftemporiki on the ongoing controversy about the NSA's dragnet surveillance programme, Reding argued "we need is to strengthen Europe in this field, so we can level the playing field with our US partners." "I would therefore wish to use this occasion to negotiate an agreement on stronger secret service co-operation among the EU member states - so that we can speak with a strong common voice to the US. The comments follow recent Snowden revelations that the NSA routinely records call record and internet metadata of millions of Europeans in Germany, France and Spain. Reding, a Luxembourg politician who's a strong advocate of EU integration more generally, has gone out of her way to criticise US snooping on Europe's political leaders.
NSA files: latest reaction and developments - live | World news
As Andrew Sparrow reports on his politics live blog, both Nick Clegg, Britain’s deputy prime minister, and Theresa May, the home secretary, have spoken out this morning about MI5 chief Sir Andrew Parker’s speech on Tuesday and whether the Guardian was right to publish Edward Snowden’s leaked documents. Clegg said the Guardian was right to launch a debate, but he felt the paper had gone too far in publishing “very technical information” that would only be understood by “technicians amongst the terrorists”. Here are the full quotes: Theresa May’s view was closer to that of Parker – and that expressed by David Cameron’s spokesman yesterday.
GAP's Jesselyn Radack reads Edward Snowden's Statement for EU Parliament Committee
Snowden Gives Testimony To European Parliament Inquiry Into Mass Surveillance, Asks For EU Asylum
A few weeks back, we reported that the European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) committee planned to send some questions to Edward Snowden as part of its inquiry on electronic mass surveillance of EU citizens. He's now replied to these, prefacing them with a short statement (pdf -- embedded below.) Although there are no major revelations -- he specifically states that he will not be disclosing anything not already published -- it does contain many important clarifications and interesting comments. For example, he confirms that: The NSA granted me the authority to monitor communications world-wide using its mass surveillance systems, including within the United States. Before moving on to the parliamentarian's questions, he concludes his opening statement as follows: For the record, I also repeat my willingness to provide testimony to the United States Congress, should they decide to consider the issue of unconstitutional mass surveillance. Of course.
Top EU court rejects EU-wide data retention law
8 April 2014Last updated at 11:39 GMT Police now access huge data sets in the fight against crime The EU's top court has declared "invalid" an EU law requiring telecoms firms to store citizens' communications data for up to two years. The EU Data Retention Directive was adopted in 2006. The European Court of Justice says it violates two basic rights - respect for private life and protection of personal data. The EU-wide ruling was prompted by Austrian and Irish complaints. The 28-nation EU is currently drafting a new data protection law. The ECJ ruling says the 2006 directive allows storage of data on a person's identity, the time of that person's communication, the place from which the communication took place and the frequency of that person's communications. The UK government says it is carefully considering the implications of the ruling, the BBC's Chris Morris reports. Privacy v security debate The European Commission says it too is assessing the ruling.
Europol will Daten aller Europäer zentral verwalten
Nach Plänen der EU-Kommission soll die europäische Polizeibehörde noch mehr Daten der Bürger speichern. Damit will die EU den Terrorismus bekämpfen. Allerdings sammelt Europol bereits von völlig unbescholtenen Bürgern - und braucht ein Jahr, um falsche Anschuldigungen zu korrigieren. EU-Kommissarin Cecilia Malmström will, dass Europol eine zentrale Daten-Bank aller Europäer verwaltet. (Foto: consilium) Europol, die europäische Polizeibehörde mit Sitz in Den Haag, soll mehr Machtbefugnisse erhalten. „Die EU braucht eine effektive und effiziente Behörde, um die Mitgliedsstaaten bei der Bekämpfung ernsthafter grenzüberschreitender Kriminalität und des Terrorismus zu unterstützen“, zitiert EUobserver die EU-Kommissarin Cecilia Malmström. Mega-Datenbank in Brüssel Die EU-Kommission will aus Europol eine Schnittstelle zum Informationsaustausch und zur Analyse schwerwiegender Verbrechen innerhalb der EU machen. Europol und Bürgerrechte
Translation Interview Marielle Gallo ACTA pcinpact
Original Interview, in French at: NB: the translation doesn't exagerate a bit! Yes, it is genuinely delicious! (emphasis added by us) What is your state of mind after ACTA's rejection in committees? This case is not over at all. Maybe citizens are being applauded, according to several Members of the European Parliament… We're supposeed to represent citizens, but since they are busy with other things, we are supposed to think for them! If ACTA respects the EU acquis, doesn't change anything, doesn't touch anything… what's the point of this agreement?' Signed by 38 countries, not just the EU, the agreement helped, helps, would have helped, might help – I can use all tenses here – harmonise procedures to fight against counterfeiting and against piracy. ACTA doesn't always make the difference between these goods… Out of the 41 articles in ACTA, only one is about the digital environment. That's what you say! Me?
Marielle Gallo tries to claw back ACTA
Monica Horten Published on 15 April 2012 Marielle Gallo, the Sarkozy-ite MEP and sweetheart of the rights-holders, is sharpening her claws in a desparate attempt to derail the ACTA ‘No’ vote. She has released her draft Opinion, in which she sets out a proposal designed to allay fears that ACTA will infringe fundamental rights. The proposal is little more than a sop. Marielle Gallo’s Opinion is being prepared for the Legal Affairs committee. It certainly looks like she is setting up a position to campaign for an ACTA ‘yes’ vote, in direct opposition to the Socialist group who have said they will propose a ‘No’ vote. Mme Gallo presents an argument that attempts to rebut some of the criticisms of ACTA. In addressing the Internet provisions, she highlights the text which says that the measures must not create barriers to legitimate activity – as if that was a protection against web blocking measures. In fact, the intended meaning of ‘legitimate activity’ is quite narrow.
