EU Privacy is at a Crossroads

Wednesday May 28, 2003 13:29

by winston smith

''In a secret ballot of the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs of the EP on May 20, Joaquín Bayo Delgado was selected as primary candidate for the post of "Data Protection Supervisor" for Europe.''

MEDIA RELEASE

PRIVACY WATCHDOG CONDEMNS "SHAMEFUL" DEAL
OVER NOMINATION FOR TOP EU POST

EUROPEAN PRIVACY IS AT A CROSSROADS

http://www.privacy.org/

27th May 2003
The global civil liberties watchdog Privacy International has strongly criticised the European Parliament over its decision to recommend the appointment of an "unknown" Spanish magistrate for the influential post of European Data Protection chief.

In a secret ballot of the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs of the EP on May 20, Joaquín Bayo Delgado was selected as primary candidate for the post of "Data Protection Supervisor" for Europe. The post carries extensive responsibilities, including oversight of the controversial Schengen Information System. Nearly all aspects of data protection will be under the aegis of the Supervisor.

The vote followed more than three months' intensive lobbying by Bayo, the Spanish government and Spanish MEP's. His nomination was accelerated by a series of back-room deals amongst major EP parties, most of which were anxious to ensure that the "hard line" data protection lobby did not succeed in securing a candidate.

Privacy International's Director, Simon Davies, said Joaquín Bayo Delgado was completely unknown to any privacy or data protection advocate in Europe. "To the best of our knowledge he has never written about the subject, nor spoken about it in any public presentation", said Mr Davies.

"Privacy and Data Protection are complex issues requiring a high degree of sensitivity and wisdom. This deplorable deal has occurred at a moment when these rights are under unprecedented stress. The protection of privacy in Europe is at a crossroads, and this decision may well result in the loss of rights for all Europeans", he added.

While Bayo's appointment is likely to be a "done deal" there is still a slim opportunity for it to be overturned. The Committee's chairman, Jorge Hernandez Mollar (Christian Democrats), will negotiate on his list of four finalists (Joaquín Bayo Delgado and the three runners-up) with the Council. Interestingly, the Council has drawn up its own list of finalists, which does not include Bayo but which does include the names of the other three candidates. The list will then be reduced to two names (one for Supervisor and one for Assistant Supervisor), to be put to the vote by the Citizens' Rights Committee on 2 June. Finally, the election of the two candidates must be endorsed by Parliament's Conference of Presidents.

The "group of four" being presented to the Council contains individuals with the background, skills and motivation necessary for this important post. Privacy International urges the Council and the Committee on Citizens' Rights to overturn the nomination and to vote for a candidate who is capable of representing the rights and interests of European citizens.

NOTES TO EDITORS

References:

EU Legislative Observatory

http://wwwdb.europarl.eu.int/oeil/oeil_ViewDNL.ProcedureView?lang=2&procid=5467
http://tinyurl.com/cujf

EP News report - May 20

http://www2.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade2?SAME_LEVEL=1&LEVEL=3&NAV=X&PUBREF=-//EP//TEXT+PRESS+NR-20030520-1+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN#SECTION5
http://tinyurl.com/cujc

- Privacy International (PI) is a human rights group formed in 1990 as a watchdog on surveillance by governments and corporations. PI is based in London, and has an office in Washington, D.C. Together with members in 40 countries, PI has conducted campaigns throughout the world on issues ranging from wiretapping and national security activities, to ID cards, video surveillance, data matching, police information systems, and medical privacy, and works with a wide range of parliamentary and inter-governmental organisations such as the European Parliament, the House of Lords and UNESCO.