Enligt en intern rapport som New York Times tagit del har EU förhandlat med USA sedan February 2007 om hur USA skall få tillgång till personlig information som banktransaktioner, surfvanor mm, somm rör medborgare i eurpeiska unionen. Europeiska länder har i allmänhet betydligt striktare lager för hur sådan information får insamlas och överföras.

Det förhandlarna nu försöker komma överens om är 12 punkter som är centrala för ett ”bindande internationellt avtal”.

But the two sides are still at odds on several other matters, including whether European citizens should be able to sue the United States government over its handling of their personal data, the report said.

Avtalet behandlar inte bara om information som rör terrorism utan även internationell brottslighet.

Ett av kraven som hittills avvisats av USA är att en europeisk medborgare skall kunna få rättelse i en amerikansk domstol. Det skulle nämligen tvinga Bush att vända sig till kongressen.

Ytterligare ett hinder är att Irland avvisat förändringarna som skulle gjort det möjligt för EU-parlamentet att ratificera avtalet. Detta förändra tidsplanen att EU-parlamentet skulle ratificera avtalet någon gång 2009.

Varken Bush-administrationen eller EU-Kommissionen har berört dessa samtal annat än i förbigående.

Issued June 10, the statement declared that “the fight against transnational crime and terrorism requires the ability to share personal data for law enforcement,” and called for the creation of a “binding international agreement” to aid such transfers while also ensuring that citizens’ privacy is “fully” protected.

DN har tagit upp NYTs artikel och skriver bl a.

Överenskommelsen kommer att slå fast att europeiska regeringar och företag på laglig väg får dela med sig av personliga data till USA. På samma sätt får USA för europeerna uppge personliga data om enskilda individer.

David Sobel från Electronic Fronteir Foundation, en organisation som bevakar fri- och rättigheter på nätet, säger att USA skönmålar möjligheterna för EU-medborgare att få rätt om misstag begås.

Samtidigt är FRA-chefen besviken på regeringens svaga stöd och skjuter själv ner ett av de enda argumenten för som fanns för lagen, att den skulle rädda svenska soldater utomlands. SvD

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According to an internal report published by the New York Times , the EU has been negotiating with the United States since February 2007 on how the United States should have access to personal information such as banking transactions, surfing habits, etc., which concerns citizens of the European Union. European countries generally have much stricter inventories for how such information may be collected and transmitted.

What the negotiators are now trying to agree on are 12 points that are central to a “binding international agreement”.

But the two sides are still at odds on several other matters, including whether European citizens should be able to sue the United States government over its handling of their personal data, the report said.

The agreement deals not only with information relating to terrorism but also with international crime.

One of the demands that has so far been rejected by the United States is that a European citizen should be able to obtain redress in a US court. That would force Bush to turn to Congress.

Another obstacle is that Ireland has rejected the changes that would have allowed the European Parliament to ratify the agreement. This will change the timetable for the European Parliament to ratify the agreement sometime in 2009.

Neither the Bush administration nor the European Commission have touched on these talks other than in passing.

Issued June 10, the statement declared that “the fight against transnational crime and terrorism requires the ability to share personal data for law enforcement,” and called for the creation of a “binding international agreement” to aid such transfers while also ensuring that citizens' privacy is “fully” protected.

DN has taken up NYT's article and writes, among other things.

The agreement will stipulate that European governments and companies may legally share personal data with the United States. In the same way, the United States may provide personal data on individuals to Europeans.

David Sobel of the Electronic Fronteir Foundation , an organization that monitors freedoms and rights online, says that the United States paints the potential for EU citizens to be right if mistakes are made.

At the same time, the FRA chief is disappointed with the government's weak support and shoots himself down one of the only arguments for the law, that it would save Swedish soldiers abroad. SvD

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