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Deutsch: MEPs fordern ein neues Abkommen über SWIFT-Bankdatentransfers an die ...

The European Parliament issued on 17 September 2009 a resolution reaffirming the need that for the Council and EU ministers to renegotiate the agreement to transfer bank data to the United States Treasury Department.

MEPs have previously expressed their concern for not having been involved in the negotiation of the EU-US interim agreement on banking data transfers as EU ministers had decided unanimously to give the European Commission a negotiating mandate without involving the Parliament.

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Deutsch: „Freiheit statt Angst“ 2009 – Proteste gegen den Überwachungswa...

On Saturday, 12 September 2009, civil liberties activists in many countries again took it to the streets under the motto "Freedom not Fear - Stop the Surveillance Mania". It was the second time these activities took place after the first international action day on 11 October 2008.

The biggest event was held in Berlin, where more than 25 000 people marched through the streets and applauded the speeches and the bands. Frank Bsirske, chairman of the world's largest trade union ver.di, called for a comprehensive law for employee and workplace privacy protection.

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Deutsch: Mazedonien: Veranstaltungen zur Weiterbildung der Bürger in Bezug auf...
Macedonian: Македонија: „Слобода наместо страв“: ...

Due to the low level of public awareness on privacy issues, the activities of the international action "Freedom Not Fear" in Macedonia included efforts for educating the citizens on 12 September 2009.

In order to provide opportunities for the citizens to get to know their rights and ways to so

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Deutsch: ICO geht gegen Verluste persönlicher Daten in Großbritannien vor

After UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has found Wigan schools in breach of the Data Protection Act following a theft of a laptop with personal information on about 43 000 children and young people, the Wigan council has agreed to sign an Undertaking to take the necessary measures to comply with the law.

The stolen laptop was stored in a locked office but it was not encrypted and the data on it was not protected. By signing the Undertaking, the Wigan Council has agreed to ensure the encryption of all portable and mobile devices, including laptops used to store and transmit personal data.

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Deutsch: Telekompaket: alle Seiten bereiten sich auf die letzte Schlacht vor

Preparations are being made in the EU institutions for the expected third reading of the Telecom Package. The timescale for the remainder of the legislative process will be determined by the official communication of the Council Common Positions to the Parliament. In theory, this can happen as late as mid-October, meaning that the final agreement could happen as late as the end of November or early December.

In the absence of official finalised documents from the Council, work on the dossier is focusing at the moment on procedural aspects of the negotiations.

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Deutsch: Verhandlungen über ein neues SWIFT-Abkommen zwischen EU und USA

On 1 September 2009, the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament (LIBE) held a hearing on the renewal of the agreement which is now under negotiations between the EU and the USA on data transfers via the SWIFT financial data network.

LIBE members have shown concern about the legal basis for the agreement and about that fact that the European Parliament has been kept out of the negotiations, and are asking to be involved in the drafting of the agreement.

SWIFT case started in 2006 when it came out that US administrative authorities were accessing data held on European citizens on the SWIFT fi

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Deutsch: Annahme des Stockholmprogramms steht kurz bevor

The timetables for the Stockholm Programme have become a great deal clearer since the return of the Parliament following the summer break and the communication between the Swedish Presidency and relevant parliamentary committees.

The Programme aims to set the priorities for a variety of justice issues (including criminal and civil law enforcement cooperation) for the period 2010-2014 and beyond. This initiative takes over from the 2004-2009 Hague Programme.

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Deutsch: Googles Street View in Frankreich und der Schweiz angefochten

After being criticised and contested in several countries in Europe, such as UK, Germany and Greece and even outside Europe like in Japan, it is the turn of France and Switzerland to complain against Google's service Street View.

Several complaints have been recorded in France in 2009 against Street View service as recently indicated by the French Data Protection Authority - CNIL (Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés).

CNIL is keeping an eye of Google's system as the company has introduced in France this summer tricycles equipped with cameras to explore parks, walking streets and other less