WP 06 : Accountability, responsibility and transparency in an enlarged Europe

Articles

• An Overall Policy on Transparency

  20 June 2006, by European Council
  In recent years, the Council’s activities have become more and more open and visible. Since the Council is the Union’s main decision-making institution, and shares power of co-decision with the European Parliament for most of the Union’s legislative acts, its procedures are already open to a very large extent. Part of its deliberations are public and most of its official documents are accessible to the public.

• Débat national sur la carte d’identite electronique : Synthèses des débats en ligne

  20 June 2006, by Forum des Droits de l’Internet
  Un certain nombre d’intervenants refusent d’entrer dans le détail du projet et de répondre aux modalités proposées car ils s’opposent, à titre préalable, à l’idée même de mise en place d’une carte avec des données biométriques. A leurs yeux, cette carte pourrait préfigurer la possibilité de ficher les individus, de recouper diverses informations et, à terme, de voir l’apparition d’une administration orwellienne (spectre du « Big Brother »). Ils craignent également avec cette carte d’être « tracés ». A cet égard, de nombreuses discussions ont eu lieu entre les internautes. A ceux qui notent que ce traçage existe déjà de facto dans la vie de tous les jours (carte bancaire, téléphone portable...), d’autres répondent que le risque n’est pas le même car avec ce projet ce serait l’Etat qui mettrait en place un tel principe (cf. « Big Brother »).

• Requirements Version 0 - Part 1: Legal Requirements

  14 June 2006, by PRIME
  This document presents the initial set of requirements for PRIME from the legal and regulatory point of view. It constitutes one of the three integral parts of the Deliverable 1.1.a. Its first chapter sets out the general legal framework for privacy and personal data protection in the European Union. Subsequently, the issue of mandatory retention of traffic data is briefly discussed, as it may have important implications for the PRIME project. Finally, a range of application scenarios are reviewed, with a view to identifying potential legal issues involved and identify requirements.

• Declaration adopted at the Conference of European Data Protection Authorities in Budapest from 24 to 25 April 2006

  30 May 2006, by Conference of European Data Protection Authorities
  In April 2006, European Data Authorities issued a declaration agreeing principles on high and harmonised data exchange among police and judicial authorities under the Hague principle of availability. The Budapest Declaration welcomes the Commission’s initiative on these lines.

• National Security Concept of the Republic of Estonia (2004)

  24 May 2006, by Estonia Government
  The document of the Estonia Government setting out what is meant by ‘national state security’. It outlines how state security is managed, how it relates to the EU and NATO etc, and to crisis management and threat perceptions

• Security and Privacy in Estonia

  23 May 2006, by Lodge Juliet, Mayer Terry
  The decision to issue compulsory eID cards in Estonia was taken in 2000, and the first cards were introduced in 2002. The scheme is regulated by the Identity Documents Act. Data on all holders - including the personal ID numbers - are available in a public certificate directory. The cards contain two authentication keys, and a unique personal email address which is designed to be valid for life. It is used to forward communications to an individual’s ‘real’ email accounts. By the end of May 2005 around 765,000 cards had been issued to citizens.

• eID card is launched in Spain

  23 May 2006, by Schmitz Patrice-Emmanuel
  Reports on the official launch of an electronic identity card in Spain.

• Biometric immigration control at Heathrow airport

  23 May 2006, by Schmitz Patrice-Emmanuel
  Looks at the Iris Recognition Immigration System (IRIS) being introduced at Heathrow’s Terminal 1, following trials at other terminals. Passengers registered to use the scheme will be able to avoid queuing at passport control. IRIS is part of the UK’s e-Borders programme.

• Portuguese government tests new eID card

  23 May 2006, by Schmitz Patrice-Emmanuel
  Portugal has tested an eID card, which is intended to replace the existing ID card and four others (the social security, public health service, tax-payer’s, and elector’s cards).

• Children Act national database of 12 million children and their parents

  23 May 2006, by Spy Blog
  Expresses fears over privacy implications of a proposed database of children in England and Wales, ahead of a debate on the draft Information Sharing Index (England) Regulations 2006.

• The final vote on the Identity Cards Bill 2005 - Ayes 301 (including the Conservative front bench) Noes 84

  23 May 2006, by Spy Blog
  Comments on votes in both Houses of the UK Parliament which approved the Identity Cards Bill. Citizens applying for a passport will have to pay £30 and have their biometric details recorded on a national identity register NIR), even if they choose not to be issued with an ID card. Voices concern that data on such people will be accessible to police, intelligence agencies and others.

• Where Immigrant Students Succeed - A Comparative Review of Performance and Engagement in PISA 2003

  22 May 2006, by Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
  New report from the OECD shows how immigrants succeed or fail in the host country’s education system. The report argues: Successful integration of immigrant populations is essential for ensuring social cohesion in immigrant-receiving nations. Immigrants bring a wealth of human capital which, if nurtured carefully, can positively contribute to economic growth and cultural diversity of the host country. Yet, tapping into this potential remains a major challenge for policy makers. It looks at barriers for young immigrants and asks if schools contribute to reducing those barriers. It contains useful statistics and references to its PISA programme, abd powerpoint presentation.

• Observatory on egovernmentbarriers

  22 May 2006, by egovernmentbarriers
  Observatory on egovernmentbarriers provides useful information on the state of play of transparency and privacy regulations in a number of EU states , including the Netherlands, Hungary, Estonia.

• DRAFT REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment, operation and use of the second generation Schengen information system (SIS II)

  15 May 2006, by Coelho Carlos, European Parliament
  The SIS II is of very high importance for the EU, in particular to allow for the enlargement of the Schengen area to the new Member States to take place as soon as possible. The rapporteur is fully aware of the political importance and the resulting time pressure. He therefore reconfirms his willingness to try to achieve in a constructive way a first reading agreement with all three proposals as a package.

• EU Parliament Members want more privacy in SIS II

  15 May 2006, by European Digital Rights
  The European Parliament has asked for higher standards of data protection in SIS II, and in particular for the exclusion of a search by biometric data as a first recourse. The various reports are available publicly through the following links.

• European Data Protection Supervisor : Annual Report 2005

  10 May 2006, by European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)
  Immediately following this guide, you will find a mission statement and a foreword by Peter Hustinx, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS).

• Recent examples of enforcement actions carried out by data protection authorities

  9 May 2006, by Article 29 Group
  This comparative report gives brief examples of enforcement measures against breaches of data privacy protection rules in the member states. It shows high levels of variability in terms of penalties (ie minimal fines as in Germany and stiffer penalties elsewhere). Financial penalties are often so low as a percentage of the gain made by the infringer that they are not a deterrent. The compensation to the ‘victim’ can often be trivial and meaningless. There is also variance in what member states focus on when looking into enforcement, The most common areas are health, insurance, tax and payment of telephone bills. The UK looked at police data.

• Recommendation Rec(2006)2 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the European Prison Rules

  3 May 2006, by Conseil de l’Europe
  The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 15.b of the Statute of the Council of Europe recommends that governments of member states be guided in their legislation, policies and practice by the rules contained in the appendix to this recommendation, which replaces Recommendation No. R (87) 3 of the Committee of Ministers on the European Prison Rules

• Recommandation Rec(2006)2 du Comité des Ministres aux Etats membres sur les Règles pénitentiaires européennes

  3 May 2006, by Conseil de l’Europe
  Le Comité des Ministres, en vertu de l’article 15.b du Statut du Conseil de l’Europe recommande aux gouvernements des Etats membres de suivre dans l’élaboration de leurs législations ainsi que de leurs politiques et pratiques des règles contenues dans l’annexe à la présente recommandation qui remplace la Recommandation no R (87) 3 du Comité des Ministres sur les Règles pénitentiaires européennes

• Most citizens complain about lack of transparency

  25 April 2006, by European Commission
  The European Ombudsman, P.Nikiforos Diamandouros, received 3,920 complaints from EU citizens, companies, NGOs and associations in 2005. «The rate of complaints still stands at the record high level attained in 2004,» said Mr. Diamandouros at the presentation of his Annual Report 2005 in Brussels. One quarter of the inquiries carried out in 2005 concerned lack of transparency in the EU administration, including refusal of information.

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