Europees Parlement vóór meer samenwerking in bestrijden terrorisme en criminaliteit maar privacy in geding (en)

The European Parliament adopted a non-binding report on a proposal for closer cooperation between EU Member States in the fight against terrorism and cross-border crime. The EP backs the plans but wants to beef up the rules on personal data protection. The report was adopted with 529 votes in favour, 65 against and 24 abstentions.

The draft Council decision under consideration - put forward by Germany - seeks to incorporate into Community law the Prüm Treaty, adopted on 27 May 2005 outside the EU framework, initially by Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Austria. The treaty strengthens cross-border cooperation on terrorism, crime and illegal immigration and provides for exchanges of DNA data, fingerprints and other information as well as joint police operations. If it is incorporated into EU law, there will be guarantees on data protection, which is the weak point of the Prüm treaty.

MEPs wary over data protection

The European Parliament (whose report by Barbara Dührkop Dührkop (PES, DE) approves the proposal but wants data transfers under the new decision to be governed by the future framework decision on data protection. MEPs believe transfers should be subject to control by the European Data Protection Supervisor. The Parliament's report also introduces a clear definition of "personal data" and calls for a ban on exchanging DNA and fingerprints of innocent people.