EU wins US &#39;guarantees&#39; on SWIFT data transfers
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EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini expressed confidence Thursday that the United States would correctly use personal data from the interbank transfer service SWIFT in anti-terror probes.
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The European Union voiced confidence on Thursday that it could win its case against the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over state aid for aircraft rivals Boeing and Airbus.
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(InfoWorld) - European data-protection officials are broadening their investigation into the alleged transfer of personal banking details by the Swift banking cooperative in Belgium to U.S. authorities, the European Commission said Wednesday.Separately, the Belgian data-protection authority is expected to conclude its report into the affair in the coming weeks. Unlike the European officials, the Belgian authorities could impose sanctions on Swift, a banking industry payment-transfer organization."Recognising the seriousness of the questions that have been raised, the working party agreed to continue fact-finding and conduct further analysis based on all relevant factual and legal elements," the Commission said in a statement, referring to a working party of data-protection officials from around the European Union. The group met in Brussels Tuesday and Wednesday."The working party's priority is to safeguard European data protection rights," the Commission said.The officials will conclude their investigation in November at their next meeting, the Commission said. If they find that European data protection laws have been violated they could propose that the Commission take legal action against Belgium for failing to uphold Union-wide laws.In the statement, the Commission said the officials expressed "immediate concerns about the lack of transparency" surrounding the transfers, which began in secret shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S.The transfers, which came to light in newspaper reports in June this year, have raised fears that Swift has abused European citizensâ privacy. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and other U.S. intelligence agencies allegedly demanded the information in order to trace terrorist financing activity.The so-called Swift affair comes at a time of heightened tension between Europe and the U.S. over how to balance counter-terrorism needs and preserve citizens' civil liberties. Last month U.S. President George Bush admitted that terrorism suspects have been secretly detained in Europe, sparking an angry outcry among European civil liberties groups, politicians and newspapers.
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The European Union and the United States recommitted themselves to a smooth trans-Atlantic relationship Friday and hoped the second term of President Bush would no longer be marred by nasty political and trade ...
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A new airline passenger information sharing agreement between the EU and the United States aimed at thwarting terrorism will likely go into effect yet this summer following concessions from both sides this week.
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The European Union (EU) said on Thursday that further US efforts to eliminate trade and investment barriers would strengthen the transatlantic economic relationship.
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EU and US negotiators make a new effort to resolve a dispute over the transfer of data about air passengers.
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EU capitals gave initial backing on Friday to a deal to supply U.S. authorities with data on transatlantic air passengers for use in terror probes pending final approval in some national parliaments, diplomats said.
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EU ministers on Friday backed plans to collect data on air travellers coming to Europe, a move which could force visitors to provide information three times before entering.
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The European Union and other plaintiffs won a major victory against the US on Friday as the World Trade Organization approved a host of stiff sanctions on a broad range of American exports.
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U.S. and European Union officials have tentatively agreed to a new deal that would enable the U.S. to continue collecting personal information about the passengers on incoming flights from EU countries.
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The European Union and the United States recommitted themselves to a smooth trans-Atlantic relationship Friday and hoped the second term of President Bush would no longer be marred by nasty political and trade disputes.
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A deal on sharing EU passenger data with the US will help fight terrorism, says US security chief Michael Chertoff.
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The European Union is set to yield to U.S. demands to give law enforcement agencies easier access to transatlantic air passenger data to clinch a deal by the end of the week, EU diplomats said on Wednesday.
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The European Union yesterday approved a European visa data system which will store biometric information like fingerprints and photos on 70 million visa-holders who pass through the EU's borderless travel zone each year.
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The European Union congratulated US President George W. Bush on his re-election and pledged to overhaul transatlantic links strained to breaking point in his first term.
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The European Union's data protection watchdog urged governments on Tuesday not to sacrifice personal rights in their talks with the U.S. on the transfer of air passenger data.