Swift agreement's rejection: MEPs have cut off their noses to spite their faces

Strasbourg, 11th February 2010

The European Parliament has thrown its toys out of the pram and put a crucial counter-terrorism data sharing agreement with the USA into jeopardy, Timothy Kirkhope MEP, European Conservatives and Reformists group coordinator on justice and home affairs, warned today after MEPs rejected the temporary Swift agreement.

The European Parliament received clear assurances on Tuesday night from the Council of Ministers that it would be heavily involved in negotiating a permanent agreement later this year. MEPs were also given assurances regarding effective redress, deletion of data and greater specificity regarding the sharing of information.

In the voting session today, Mr Kirkhope voiced his support for a postponement of the vote for a month to enable further discussions with the Council of Ministers. However, the proposal was rejected and MEPs went ahead with the vote. Mr Kirkhope says that, had the parliament postponed the vote, it would have had a significantly better chance of having its concerns addressed. Instead, by rejecting the vote, the US authorities will still access much of the information via alternative routes such as bilateral agreements and mutual assistance treaties, without the safeguards built into the agreement.

Mr Kirkhope said:

"It is not fair that the USA's efforts to tackle terrorist financing have become embroiled in an argument between EU institutions.

"The Council of Ministers was wrong to exclude the parliament in the negotiation of this agreement, but we are where we are and the parliament cannot reopen this temporary agreement.

"MEPs have cut off their noses to spite their faces. The USA will still be able to access most of this information, without many of the safeguards built into this agreement. Instead of negotiating an agreement at EU level, the USA will undoubtedly find it easier to negotiate with national governments.

"The European Parliament is right to insist on playing an active role in the negotiation of a permanent agreement. However, we would have had much more credibility and influence had we agreed to postpone the vote and negotiated from a position of strength. Instead, it is hard to see why the USA would seek to negotiate such agreements at EU level ever again when it knows it would receive significantly less resistance from national governments.

"The essence of this negotiation should be cooperation, not pontification. The European Parliament has shown that it is more interested in sabre-rattling than playing a full part in the negotiations over the permanent agreement."

ENDS

Contact: Timothy Kirkhope on +33 (0)3 88 1 75321 or +32 228 45321

ECR Press Office- James Holtum - +32 473 861762

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