Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-06-07-Speech-2-032"
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"en.20050607.5.2-032"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we agree that we must take resolute action against international terrorism and organised crime. Today, however, I should like to re-emphasise that we must adopt the right measures.
In my opinion and in the view of my group, the proposal on the retention of stored and processed data is not the right tool for the job. We made this abundantly clear with our vote in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Let me also make a point of congratulating my honourable colleague Mr Alvaro on his report.
The protection of individuals’ personal data is not guaranteed by the Council’s proposal. It would impose huge costs on the European telecommunications industry, and the benefits of storage are not sufficiently commensurate with the effort involved. There are too many opportunities for circumvention against which the Council’s proposal offers no safeguards. What about flat-rate contracts and the use of foreign mobiles from Brazil or Asia, for example?
Even the BDK, the trade union representing Germany’s criminal police, has emphasised that it is the quality of data which is crucial, not necessarily the quantity or the retention period. What we have in this case is a knee-jerk reaction, which merely creates the illusion of greater security. We surely cannot seriously intend to store data on more than four million people generated by the use of the Internet, telephone calls and text messages. If in doubt, we need only look across the ocean to the country that very often exceeds the bounds of reason in its anti-terrorism measures.
The US Congress rejected a similar bill on the retention of stored and processed data on the grounds – believe it or not – that the proposed measures went too far. Instead, an agreement was reached on the ‘quick freeze’ mechanism, which is perhaps a suitable solution. Why can the same thing not happen in Europe? The German Bundestag has rejected the Council’s proposal. Finland has also warned against data retention. What really riles me and puts me in a veritable lather is the news that the European Ministers of Justice plan to go against the recommendation of our committee and implement the Council’s plans for the retention of data come what may, without parliamentary codecision.
In the light of the referenda in France and the Netherlands, it beggars belief that any attempt can be made to squeeze Parliament out of the decision-making process. Such a move is downright dangerous. We are not talking here about a single measure to combat terrorism but about public protection and the rights of every individual in this European Union. For the Council to say in this context that it will decide unilaterally as it always has done will not bring the European Union any further forward.
The fact is that much of what has gone awry in the European Union and has shaken many people’s belief in the Union is due to the policies, often driven by self-interest, pursued by ministers of the national governments."@en1
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