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Deutsch: Umsetzung des SWIFT-Abkommens missachtet den Datenschutz
The "top secret" status of the implementation of the SWIFT/TFTP Agreement has irked MEPs such as Dutch member Sophie In't Veld, who has warned the Commission and Member States that they may block other transatlantic data deals in the future.
The Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (TFTP), also known as the SWIFT agreement, is ostensibly an anti-terrorism measure which allows US authorities to request and, upon the approval of Europol (who can thereafter also gain access), large volumes of transaction information from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) - an inter-service banking company used in roughly 80 percent of international transactions. The agreement came into force in the summer of 2010.
This controversial agreement, which EDRi has advocated consistently against, due to concerns about proportionality, transparency and fundamental rights, was endorsed with reluctance by MEPS, who initially vetoed it in February 2010. They won a number of concessions, including a specially appointed EU representative to oversee the transfer of the data and the inclusion of an oversight body (although this function is carried out by Europol, which is considered by many not to have an adequate level of independence) who would approve requests for data.
However, MEPs now worry that the Agreement is being circumvented and requests for information have been denied, which In't Veld has described as "a symptom of a widespread culture of secrecy and reluctance to be held accountable".
The Permanent Representation of Germany to the EU expressed similar concerns in a letter to the Council on 8 February, which states that Berlin is "deeply concerned" about the Commission and Europol "repeatedly sidestepping questions or not answering them at all."
Alexander Alvaro, MEP in charge of the dossier in the European Parliament, cited the conclusions of a Report on the implementation of the TFTP carried out by Europol's Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) that oversees data protection issues. These, he said, raise serious concerns about compliance with EU data protection rules, as Europol seems to be just "rubberstamping" requests for the transfer of raw data without any scrutiny or oversight. Authorisation of these bulk transfers seems to be on the basis of oral, unrecorded requests, and all documents have so far been classified as top secret.
The report, published on 2 March 2011, was the first inspection of the implementation of the TFTP agreement conducted in November 2010. The JSB found that many data protection requirements were not being met and, that despite the fact that US requests for data were often too general and abstract, Europol approved each request received. Due to the amount of oral requests received, the JSB reported that adequate internal and external audit of the necessity and proportionality of data transferred to the US was "impossible".
In light of the report, German Greens member Jan Philipp Albrecht declared that what Parliament achieved during negotiations has dissolved into thin air and has called on the Commission and Member States in the Council to terminate the agreement with the US.
In't Veld explained in a press release that "our support for this and other, forthcoming agreements (such as on PNR) clearly rely on the trustworthiness of our partners... We will need stronger assurances that protection of personal data of European citizens is not a mere box ticking exercise, but a genuine mission of all EU bodies".
The Commission is set to publish its evaluation of the TFTP on 17 March 2011. Alvaro has urged the Commission to take account of the disregard for Article 4 of the Agreement and EU data protection rules and demanded that all relevant documents be declassified. He also invited the European Data Protection Supervisor to submit a report evaluating the functioning of the TFTP.
Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme is not respecting data protection
safeguards (5.03.2011)
http://www.alde.eu/press/press-and-release-news/press-release/article/...
PM to Europol report: SWIFT banking data agreement must be terminated! (only
in German, 8.03.2011)
http://janalbrecht.eu/2011/03/08/pm-zu-europol-bericht-swift-bankdaten...
Europol throws private data of EU citizens to grab (only in Dutch, 7.03.2011)
http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/5403/Internet/article/detail/1232610/2011...
MEP: SWIFT 'secrecy' may hamper new data deals with US (28.02.2011)
http://euobserver.com/18/31880
European Commission and Europol refuse to supply data on the implementation
of the EU-US TFTP (SWIFT) agreement as it is "Top Secret" (02.2011)
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/feb/01eu-usa-swift-data-secret.htm
Letter from German Delegation to Council of the European Union (8.02.2011)
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/feb/eu-council-germany-europol-usa...
Report on the inspection of Europol's implementation of the TFTP agreement,
conducted in November 2010 by the Europol Joint Supervisory Authority
(4.03.2011)
http://europoljsb.consilium.europa.eu/media/111009/terrorist%20finance...
US and EU agreement on exchanging personal data for the purposes of the
Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (2.03.2011)
http://europoljsb.consilium.europa.eu/media/112160/jsb%20tftp%20inspec...
(contribution by Raegan MacDonald - EDRi)