From: Statewatch news and announcements [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2000 2:39 PM
To: List Member
Subject: Germany and France lead calls for greater EU secrecy & FTA
critical of security agenda
Statewatch news and announcements - http://www.statewatch.org
EXCLUSIVE REPORT: Statewatch Audit on EU openness shows Germany and
France pushing for greater secrecy and the UK sitting on the fence.
The Council of the European Union has drafted its position on the new
code of public access to EU documents (effectively rules on freedom of
information in the EU). This is in response to the new code proposed by
the European Commission. The Councils common position represents the
views of the governments of the 15 EU member states.
Statewatch has carried an Audit of the amendments proposed by the member
states to the Councils draft position. Each country is ranked according
to whether their proposals would provide for greater public access to
information or an increase in EU secrecy. It shows that Germany and
France lead the way in calling for even greater secrecy, the UK is
sitting on the fence and Denmark, Netherlands, Finland and Sweden are
trying to improve the Councils draft common position.
Denmark [most pro-openness]
Netherlands
Finland
Sweden
Italy
Belgium
Spain
Greece
UK
Ireland
Portugal
Luxembourg
Austria
France
Germany [most pro-secrecy]
[The table is based on the proposals made by each member state and an
eight key criteria test - for details see full story.]
The Councils position is to be adopted at the General Affairs Council on
the 20 November. Those hoping for greater openness and with it an
increase in democratic standards may be disappointed, since as it stands
the Councils position is worse than the Commissions proposal. Tony
Bunyan, Statewatch editor, commented:
It seems for most EU governments openness makes good spin but they
do not really believe in it - as the Council has said too much openness
could fuel public discussion.
[Could fuel public discussion was the reason given to Mr Bunyan when
he was refused access by the Council General Secretariat to the document
containing the Councils draft position and the member states proposals.
Mr Bunyans application for the document was made under the existing
code of access - it would not even fall within the scope of the new
code and access could be automatically refused with the justification
that the EU instiutions need space to think. The Councils draft common
position was leaked to Statewatch]
The exclusive Statewatch Audit and analysis is available from Statewatch
News Online, URL:
<http://www.statewatch.org/news>
In a separate but not unrelated development, the Swedish government has
joined the Netherlands and the European Parliament in calling for legal
action against the Council following their decision to amend the
existing code of access in July to accommodate NATO demands for greater
secrecy in security and "non-military crisis management" cooperation
(the Solana Decision). Comprehensive background is available on the
Statewatch website.
OTHER EU NEWS: Fair Trials Abroad criticises increasing imbalance between
EU security agenda and the protection of civil liberties
In response to the European Commission's communication on the EU's
programme of measures to implement the principle of EU- wide mutual
recognition of judgements and court orders in criminal cases. FTA set out
their ongoing concern about the effect on suspect's rights and civil
liberties. They also call for an immediate halt to EU legislation that
increases "international law enforcement powers" until safeguards are in
place. Steven Jakobi, Director of FTA commented:
"The Post Tampere process is currently perpetuating and increasing the
imbalance between "Security" matters of prosecution and crime prevention
on the one hand, and "Freedom" matters of defence and the protection of
civil liberties on the other. The very fabric of Justice is at stake.
We would urge both national and European Parliamentarians to oppose any
increase in International law enforcement powers, under whatever guise
they appear, until visible progress is made in safeguarding Citizens
rights".
Full story and background to the Council's mutual recognition programme is
available on Statewatch News Online
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