From: Statewatch news and announcementsTo: List Member
Sent: 27/05/01 13:54
Subject: News from Statewatch

Statewatch news and announcements - http://www.statewatch.org

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New material on STATEWATCH NEWS ONLINE includes updates to the EU plans
to
extend surveillance and retain communications data, the regulation on
public access to documents and the European Parliament inquiry into the
Echelon surveillance system.  News in brief  has also been updated   see
below.

Press release, 28 May 2001
EU STATES PRESS AHEAD WITH PLANS TO RETAIN COMMUNICATIONS DATA
(<http://www.statewatch.org/news>)
As the Council of the European Union (representing all 15 governments)
is
discussing the draft  conclusions  on giving law enforcement agencies
access to communications data, the UK, France and Belgium already have
plans to introduce the retention of telecommunications data for at least
12 months. The plans are revealed in official national responses to a
survey carried out by the EU s police cooperation working party. It
appears that the UK government may well be misleading the public over
its
intentions regarding data retention. The survey confirms the
determination
of EU law enforcement agencies to achieve a number of objectives:
* to stop the deletion of telecommunications data as required under data
protection law
* to stop users having anonymity in their communications (including an
attack on cybercafes)
* to ensure that law enforcement/security agencies have access to
retained/archived data
* to ensure that data is retained, in the first instance for at least 12
months   once the EC privacy and data protection directives are breached
they can argue for longer periods later

UPDATE TO SOS EUROPE (Statewatch Observatory on Surveillance in Europe)
(<http://www.statewatch.org/soseurope.htm>)
* G8 Conference on High-Tec Crime, 22-24 May 2001, Tokyo: The draft
Recommendations from the "G8 Conference on High-Tec Crime" being held in
Tokyo will give effect to the extended "International User Requirements"
which require access to mobile phones, satellite phones, internet usage
and users' personal
details - at the international level.
* G8 and ILETS discussed problems of  data retention and implications of
data protection legislation" in 1999
* UK Government comments on data retention

CODE OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO EU DOCUMENTS (<http://www.statewatch.org/news>)
The European Parliament completed their  deal  with EU Council on the
new
code of access to documents with a vote in favour on the 3 May.
Statewatch
coverage includes:
* Postscript to the vote
* European Parliament votes in favour of "deal" with the Council on
access
to EU documents - campaign for an open and democratic Europe to continue
* Leading civil society groups send "Open letter" to all MEPs asking
them
to reject the "deal" on access to EU

ECHELON ENQUIRY (<http://www.statewatch.org/news>)
The potential for  cover-up  over the Echelon surveillance system has
increased after US law enforcement agencies cancelled appointments with
a
delegation from the European Parliament that was in America to discuss
Echelon.

NEWS IN BRIEF (<http://www.statewatch.org/news/Newsinbrief.htm>)
* New draft (27th version) of the Council of Europe Convention on
cybercrime
* How anti-trafficking initiatives criminalise refugees" (article from
Campaign Against Racism and Fascism)
* Full-text of "gagging Order" signed by Jack Straw last July
prohibiting
anything from MI5 being used (from Cryptome)
* "Repeal the Official Secrets Act": the UK is one of the few countries
in
the EU which has a law that punishes "whistle-blowers" and journalists
and
others who receive "leaked" information on state activities. A campaign
has been launched to repeal it (ROSA)
* European Commission press release on a proposal to limit the right of
freedom of movement for the people in the countries scheduled to join
the
EU for the first seven years
* European Commission programme announced for "conflict resolution",
which
is a mixture of the sensible and the interventionist (ie: in the EU s
interests)
* The UK government's plans to expand the police DNA database comes
under
attack from the Human Genetics Commission

Statewatch
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tel: 0044(0)20-8802-1882. fax: 0044(0)20-8880-1727
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