L'espionnage américain divise l'Europe
The American spy divides Europe
THE WORLD | 23.10.2013 at 11:14 • Updated 24.10.2013 at 7:34 | By Philippe Ricard and Jean -Pierre Stroobants (Brussels, European Office )
He could be invited at the last minute of the European Council held on Thursday 24 and Friday October 25 in Brussels. The eavesdropping scandal of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA ) has electrified the new European agenda, as was the case during the first revelations in the press in late June. François Hollande should address the topic at the meeting of Heads of State and Government. But again , nothing says that the reaction of Twenty- Eight is at the height of the emotion aroused in public opinion in the case.
Coincidence , heads of state and government had long planned to talk about the digital industry Thursday and Friday , but by referring to the telecom market and innovation. And their findings should be very general , according to the texts circulating in Brussels. The summit , however, could help accelerate the negotiations for a long time to strengthen the legislation on the protection of privacy against the intrusion of the Internet giants and even espionage .
It was probably an unexpected opportunity and Viviane Reding did not mix: the European Commissioner for Justice , which scrap for two years to adopt its proposals , denounced on Tuesday 22 October in Strasbourg, " an institution that asks companies to transmit personal data collected and thus operates illegally fullest " .
OTHER SCANDALS TO COME ?
Based on the revelations of the World about eavesdropping in France , Reding called on the leaders of the European Union to " take action " . " Data protection is not only a concept, it is a fundamental right which should be underpinned by a fundamental law," Justice Commissioner .
Served by the news , she relies heavily on France to speed up a process hampered so far by the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Ireland, anxious not to harm the Web giants . The Ministers of Justice of the Twenty- Eight should hope the Commission in Brussels in December to reach agreement before the Parliament, the Commission and the Council reach consensus before the next European elections in May.
However, this scenario is very uncertain. Against Washington , Europeans have the greatest difficulty to unite. So far, heads of state and government are , in fact, careful not to condemn outright the practices revealed in June by Edward Snowden , former NSA employee . Like the German Chancellor , Angela Merkel, then campaigning for reelection , and some others have asked above "explanations " for the Obama administration. But the scandal has not prevented the opening in July of free trade negotiations with the United States.
Faced with Angela Merkel and David Cameron, the British prime minister , who wanted to go ahead , Mr. Holland had tried to get the report of these discussions , requiring practices NSA cease. He had not succeeded . A simple working group was established to discuss these sensitive issues with U.S. intelligence . A way as not to hinder the rest of the trade talks , although the French are not satisfied with the explanations given so far by the U.S. authorities. " The latest scandal was revealed in France , there will certainly be more to come ," said Reding to push his advantage.
" RIGHT TO FORGET "
The latter was supported by the Committee on Civil Liberties and Justice of the European Parliament , which voted and even hardened Monday night projects. It is actually two texts. Right and left are in favor of provisions to enable users to allow or deny the use of their personal data by Google or Yahoo! , for example. In case of dispute , it is the authorities of the country where the plaintiff resides, the CNIL ( National Commission on Informatics and Liberties ) in France for example, should be first in line , and not those of the country where you installed the group concerned .
Read also: The European Parliament is trying to establish itself as the spearhead of resistance to NSA
Elected officials are willing to sanction a fine of up to € 100 million or 5% of their global annual turnover of companies that would transmit data out of Europe without the authorization of a national authority . The commission proposed it a million and 2%. MEPs also supported the principle of a " right to be forgotten " , or deletion of digital data, usually rejected by the giants of the Internet. "The ball is now in the States ," Judge German Green MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht, one of the rapporteurs of the bill to Parliament .
Peak on human rights, the Parliament had , moreover, vote , Wednesday, Oct. 23 , for or against the suspension of the SWIFT agreement , negotiated fought with Washington to supervise the transfer of a data bank side to the other of the Atlantic. Socialists, environmentalists and left-wing radicals were ready to denounce this document. The European People's Party and the Liberals rather rejected this view . Some MEPs from the right , however, could rally the left in the wake of recent revelations about the practices of the NSA.
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