Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats
A progressive majority led by 184-strong European Socialists and Democrats group today in Strasbourg overrode an EU-US agreement transferring in bulk European citizens' bank information to Washington.
The vote went through despite a last minute filibustering attempt by the rightist EPP Group to delay it for some months.
Group leader Martin Schulz MEP said:
"The US Administration may have wrongly thought they could deal with the European Parliament like Gulliver with the Lilliputians.
"Under the Swedish Presidency, European Governments and Council also made a mistake to believe it would be possible to force the EP to give its consent on an unacceptable agreement based more on the US approach to security than on the EU's defence of citizens' fundamental rights.
"Our opposition has always been constructively driven towards improving the current agreement. We now expect the US and EU Governments to come to terms with our determination and call on the EU Commission to immediately start negotiations on a better long term deal".
Claude Moraes MEP, S&D Spokesperson for Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs:
"Over the last months we have been constantly pointing out a number of important data protection shortcomings contained in this agreement, which made it impossible for our Group to agree to it. On data retention periods, bulk transfers of data, and EU citizens' rights to legal redress, our Group has never shaken on these red lines.
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"For the first time, yesterday, the Council has finally started to acknowledge their mistakes in the negotiations and pledged to take into account our concerns.
"S&D welcome this change of attitude and are confident that a better agreement can be achieved under the Spanish Presidency".
"We are fully committed to the fight against terrorism, but our response has to be more targeted and proportionate than this."
Paolo Alberti
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Associated media
Swift agreement to fall. 'EU and US must negotiate a better long term deal without further delay.' Claude Moraes MEP, S&D Spokesperson for Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs:
'Over the last months we have been constantly pointing out a number of important data protection shortcomings contained in this agreement, which made it impossible for our Group to agree to it'
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