More Members of the European Parliament have again insisted that EU-wide or individual negotiations by its Member States for visa waivers with the United States should not erode privacy rights of citizens.
The US has been talking directly to EU countries that do not have visa waivers, bypassing EU negotiations and splitting the bloc over how to proceed.
Critics said the US wants too many concessions, such as the transfer of further personal data of travelers, and to require armed sky marshals on planes. Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament raised the issue last month as undermining EU data privacy law and the common negotiating position of the European Union on matters such as PNR. MEP Sophie In’t Veld of the Netherlands, the parliament’s rapporteur on passenger data (PNR) welcomed the adoption of an EU negotiating mandate but expressed concern over adequacy of the data protection arrangements.
During a debate in the parliament, she said, “The data protection principles to be agreed by EU and US are the right ones, but the legal protection of citizens will be weakened by significant exemptions and conditions. “We have more to gain in the long term from a strong, united Europe that negotiates on behalf of all its citizens. In that respect the negotiations should also address the current US travel ban on HIV positive persons,” she said. The EU has been told that no agreement with the US will be concluded before next year and that parliament will be involved,
But in’t Veld said, “The proposal for a committee of experts responsible for monitoring and amending the agreement is neither democratic nor transparent.” MEP Adina Valean of Romania also appealed to EU solidarity and said the European Commission and Council have failed to protect the interests of the citizens of the new Member States.
“The fact that some Member States have had to negotiate bilaterally with the US to obtain visa waiver status for their citizens undermines the Union’s credibility and strength. The Commission must now show determination and ensure that the US understands our concerns for equal rights and equal treatment as much as we understand their concerns for security,” she said. MEP Sarah Ludford of the United Kingdom, rapporteur on the EU Visa Information System wanted assurances that the US would not acquire access to EU border control databases: “At a time of warnings about the frightening spread of the Mafia as well as terrorist conspiracies, why is the EU going down this blind alley of mass surveillance of the 99.9 percent of the public which is innocent, when the real need is to target the 0.1 percent of travelers who might be dangerous or criminal through intelligence- led policing and effective cross-border cooperation between law enforcement agencies?” she asked.