Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-03-10-Speech-1-085"
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"en.20080310.17.1-085"2
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"Madam President, the recent pressure brought to bear by the US Government on individual European governments in connection with participation in the visa waiver programme should be condemned outright and should entail substantial penalties. Under no circumstances, Commissioner, should any other response be allowed. In other words, the unacceptable demands of a US Government that is already on the way out and whose President, just two days ago, vetoed a bill forbidding the US secret services to use torture, must not be used by the Commission to justify the inclusion of such provisions in European law on the pretext of maintaining solidarity.
Thirdly, if the US Government continues with its policy, what specific steps do you intend to take against a third country that is violating European policy and law?
Fourthly, can you assure us, Commissioner, that you will not propose or agree to any change in the current PNR agreement, the common European visa policy, or other European policies? Such change will lead to the unlimited violation of European citizens’ personal data, a policy unfortunately promoted by the United States?
The bilateral demands and pressure by the United States infringe the national sovereignty of individual Member States and the fundamental rights of their citizens. Greece and 11 of the 12 new Member States are being pressurised to allow the US security authorities access to a range of extremely sensitive personal data, which is not required of the other European countries. It is as if the singled-out countries were Europe’s poor relations or guinea-pigs for America’s new security measures.
Secondly, the measures infringe the common visa policy, because, as we know, third countries are obliged to treat all the EU countries equally. They cannot divide us into good and bad Europeans. All the excuses used hitherto, that the passports of some European countries were supposedly insecure, are now invalid, yet the United States carries on regardless!
Thirdly, the measures contravene the recent international PNR agreement between Europe and the United States, which clearly defines what the Americans can and cannot take for themselves.
Fourthly, the measures contravene European legislation on data collection and processing, such as the Schengen Convention. On this point, you have rightly said that the Americans are asking to be given access to such data.
Madam President, the US Government is promoting whatever is in its own interests by its favourite method of ‘divide and rule’. The question is, what is Europe doing to protect its authority, laws and citizens? Unfortunately, the answer so far has been disheartening. For years the European Commission has failed to persuade the United States to extend the visa waiver programme to all EU countries on equal terms, thus opening the door to bilateral negotiations with individual countries. The Czech Republic meanwhile seems in an indecent hurry to accept the new illegal terms, in breach of Community policy and solidarity.
In the midst of this hive of political pressure and secret negotiations, it is encouraging, Commissioner, that you have responded today. However, in the light of what I have said, we call on you to provide explicit answers on these points:
Firstly, do you intend to take steps against Member States that conclude bilateral agreements with the United States? Will you bring a case before the European Court against the Czech Republic if the implementing measures of the agreement prove to be contrary to Community law?
Secondly, have you asked other European governments that are now negotiating with the United States not to yield to such pressure? If so, which are the governments that you have spoken to or are now in communication with? What exactly are you telling them, in terms of what they are permitted or forbidden to do?"@en1
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