MEPs: No European Safe under Proposed EU-US SWIFT Agreement

The European Parliament has objected to the SWIFT deal proposed between the US and EU, arguing it may be illegal, and that the Parliament has not been sufficiently consulted under the provisions of the new Lisbon Treaty. File photo.

The European Parliament Conference of Presidents has agreed that EP President Jerzy Burek should send a letter to the European Union Council, demanding suspension of the SWIFT* deal to provide bank transfer information to the US.

The SWIFT* agreement, poised to take effect on February 1, allows for the transfer of European citizens’ bank transfer information to US authorities, including the FBI, for use in the so-called "fight against terrorism".

Members of the EP Green party stated that "the EU Council has no right to allow the SWIFT agreement to take effect without the agreement of the European Parliament. Parliament must not be bypassed by the Commission and Council, which would be a breach of the Lisbon Treaty. Citizens' rights must be safeguarded."

The EP as a whole is annoyed that there has, so far, been a lack of official communication and consultation between the Commission and Council, and the Parliament.

Rebecca Harms and Jan-Philipp Albrecht, both from the Green MEP party, said that "it is shameful that the Council has said it intends to supply the text of the agreement to the EU Parliament only next week, when it has already been published in the EU Official Journal. Parliament simply cannot cooperate on this basis".

They further objected: "The major shortcomings we highlighted in November are still there. Legal protection of citizens' rights is severely lacking and there is no role for any independent data protection body.

"Parliament is not being told what data will be taken, which authorities will receive the data and under what conditions they will do so. All this information is hidden in secret annexes. Under these conditions, the interim agreement must be suspended."

They were supported by other parties in the Parliament. "The SWIFT agreement must not be pushed through," said Cornelia Ernst of Germany, Rui Tavares of Portugal, and Marie-Christine Vergiat of France, among other MEPs.

Tavares added that Parliament has been treated in an "insulting and humiliating way by having to wait for a text that has already been leaked to the press time and time again".

He also pointed out that the so-called "nine-month temporary nature of the agreement is misleading as our data will be kept in store for five years," and said that future US administrations might misuse the information they held.

"No European can feel safe with that prospect," he concluded.

Cornelia Ernst added: "The European Data Protection Supervisor has also voiced his displeasure since the agreement may violate European data protection laws".

MEPs had earlier on Friday also expressed their general dissatisfaction with proposed US-EU measures for enhanced airport and flight security.

*SWIFT - The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, based in Belgium, links over 8 000 financial institutions in 209 countries.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!