MEPs Inflict Blow On EU-US Data Sharing Agreement
Thursday 4 February, 2010
Commenting on this afternoon’s indicative vote of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee, which recommended rejection of the interim agreement between the USA and EU on sharing records of bank transfers, Timothy said:
“If the parliament does vote to reject this agreement then the USA has other avenues to pursue, which are unlikely to guarantee the level of data protection present in the provisional agreement. This agreement puts in place a framework that, after meeting with the new US Ambassador to the EU William Kennard and after raising a number of concerns with the US authorities, I am sure will provide adequate safeguards for data over the next few months.
"I would prefer MEPs to spend a couple more weeks looking at the detail of this agreement, rather than derailing it now. Also, the underhand tactics used by the Council of Ministers have been frustrating and it must be made clear that we cannot accept such behaviour again.”
ENDS
