Friday, 5th February 2010

Europe
 
Government criticised for bypassing Parliament in controversial EU-US anti-terror deal;
UK Europe Minister unaware of Commons debate on the issue
The Government has come under fierce criticism from MPs from both parties for its failure to give Parliament the eight-week period granted by the Lisbon Treaty to scrutinise a decision to 'opt in' to a controversial EU-US anti-terrorism data-sharing deal. PA reports that Sarah McCarthy-Fry, the Treasury Exchequer Secretary, was forced to answer an urgent question in the Commons yesterday as Michael Connarty, Chairman of the Commons European Scrutiny Committee, complained that the Committee and Parliament were being treated with "disdain and contempt". He said, "It was the first test of the Lisbon Treaty assurance and was a very bad start to the new process".
 
In a public lecture at the LSE yesterday evening, Open Europe asked Chris Bryant, the UK's Europe Minister, to comment on the debate in the Commons. However, Mr Bryant was not even aware that the Commons debate had happened remarking: "What on earth does this have to do with Sarah McCarthy-Fry, I don't think this is right". Then calling to an assistant, he asked "Did Sarah McCarthy-Fry answer a question today?", continuing "I'm really perplexed about it because if anyone would be answering EU [questions] it should be me...I don't know if I can say much more."
 
Meanwhile, it is looking more likely that MEPs will vote to reject the so-called SWIFT agreement, which establishes a data-sharing system on financial data between the EU and the US. The WSJ reports that the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee rejected the agreement yesterday - a decision that will have considerable sway when the full Parliament votes on the agreement next week.
 
EUobserver reports that MEPs were infuriated when EU ministers agreed the interim deal with the US on 30 November last year, just a day before the Lisbon Treaty came into force, which would have allowed MEPs the right to block the legislation. MEPs complained about being sidelined in negotiations with the US authorities and that the privacy guarantees for EU citizens were not satisfactory.
 
EUobserver reports that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Jerzy Buzek, the President of the EU Parliament, to voice the US' concerns that the agreement may not be approved.
WSJ Telegraph Die Welt  ORF BBC EUobserver European Voice European Voice

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