Angry MEPs demand delay on EU-US bank data deal

EurActiv reports that Members of the European Parliament clashed with the Council of the European Union on the 21 January 2010, calling for a delay to the entry into force of the Interim agreement on banking data transfers (SWIFT agreement) on the 1 February 2010, a EU-US deal maintaining the transfer of EU citizens' banking data to US investigators.

The Council adopted in November 2009 (without consulting the European Parliament) Council Decision 2010/16/CFSP/JHA of 30 November 2009 ... of the Agreement between the European Union and the United States of America on the processing and transfer of Financial Messaging Data from the European Union to the United States for purposes of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program.

• Primary Source

European Commission: Press Release: IP/10/133: Commission launches public consultation on a future EU-US data protection and information sharing agreement http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/133&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: SPEECH/10/24: Cecilia Malmström Member of the European Commission responsible for Home Affairs Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (TFTP) European Parliament debate on SWIFT Strasbourg, 10 February 2010 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/10/24&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Deutsche Welle, 5.2.09: Washington threatens to bypass Europe in battle for bank data http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5220092,00.html

EurActiv, 11.2.10: Yes to SWIFT unlikely as vote in limbo http://www.euractiv.com/justice/swift-vote-limbo-news-258130

Council of the European Union: Press Release, PRES/10/23: EU-US Agreement on the Transfer of Financial Messaging Data for purposes of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme http://www.consilium.europa.eu/App/NewsRoom/loadDocument.aspx?id=1&lang=EN&directory=en/jha/&fileName=112850.pdf

European Parliament: Press Release, 10.2.10: SWIFT: MEPs still concerned about data protection in interim agreement http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/019-68675-039-02-07-902-20100209IPR68674-08-02-2010-2010-false/default_en.htm

ESO: Background information: Brussels outlines plan to give US cross-border bank data http://www.europeansources.info/record/brussels-outlines-plan-to-give-us-cross-border-bank-data/

European Parliament: Press Release, 21.1.09: SWIFT: European Parliament to vote on interim agreement at February session http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/019-67614-018-01-04-902-20100119IPR67613-18-01-2010-2010-false/default_en.htm

ESO: Background information: Council Decision 2010/16/CFSP/JHA of 30 November 2009 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the United States of America on the processing and transfer of Financial Messaging Data from the European Union to the United States for purposes of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program http://www.europeansources.info/record/council-decision-2010-16-cfsp-jha-of-30-november-2009-on-the-signing-on-behalf-of-the-european-union-of-the-agreement-between-the-european-union-and-the-united-states-of-america-on-the-processing-an/

EurActiv, 4.2.10: Parliament divided ahead of SWIFT vote http://www.euractiv.com/en/justice/parliament-divided-ahead-of-swift-vote

EurActiv, 28.1.10: EU to review banking data deal with US http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/eu-review-banking-data-deal-us/article-189328

Spiegel Online International, 29.1.10: European Parliament to Reject Bank Data Agreement with US http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,674789,00.html

European Commission: Memo: MEMO/10/127: Decision updating the standard contractual clauses for the transfer of personal data to processors established in non-EU countries http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/30&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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