| Author (Person) | Banks, Martin |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.11, No.41, 17.11.05 |
| Publication Date | 17/11/2005 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Martin Banks Date: 17/11/05 Franco Frattini, the European commissioner for justice, freedom and security, this week told MEPs that the Commission did not have the power to launch an inquiry into allegations of secret US prison camps on European soil. It was, he claimed, up to member states to investigate the claims. He said that while the Commission was carrying out a "dialogue" with member states and intensifying its contacts with the US Senate, indignation voiced by MEPs was not the answer to the issue. The Italian told MEPs on the foreign affairs committee that the Commission did not have the same powers as a national judge and could not force member states to hand over documents. Had the EU constitution been in force, however, it would have been easier for the Commission to investigate and obtain answers, he said. Allegations emerged in Washington earlier this month that US secret services had flown terror suspects to countries such as Poland and Romania. The allegations have been denied by the US administration and by the governments of Romania and Poland. Frattini came in for criticism from MEPs. His compatriot Vittorio Agnoletto of the GUE/NGL group said that Frattini's comments reminded him of the "three monkeys - hear nothing, see nothing, say nothing". He said there were "hidden prisoners and torture centres in Europe" and that there was evidence to prove this, including evidence from the US. Another committee member, French MEP Martine Roure, asked Frattini what measures the Commission would take to ensure that "all charters that govern human rights are upheld in the EU". UK Liberal MEP Sarah Ludford accused the US government of making disappearance a US tactic. The war on terror, she said, had opened up the "blackest of black holes". Franco Frattini, the European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, told the European Parliament that the European Commission did not have the power to launch an inquiry into allegations of secret US prison camps on European soil. It was, he claimed, up to Member States to investigate the claims. Allegations had emerged in Washington earlier in November 2005 that US secret services had flown terror suspects to countries such as Poland and Romania. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Security and Defence, Values and Beliefs |
| Countries / Regions | Europe, United States |
