SWIFT data transfers

Commenting on today's Commission decision for a new negotiation mandate on providing SWIFT bank transfer data to the US authorities, Green MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht said:

"I welcome that the new EU Commission negotiation mandate has at last explicitly recognised that Parliament has a role to play in the decision on SWIFT data transfers. The exact substance of the new mandate is however unclear and basic ground rules are missing. There is no clear commitment to ensure that only essential data is provided.

Since the respect of fundamental rights is at stake, legal authorities should be tasked with ensure that any provision of data is proportionate to the potential benefits of sharing such information. The security argument must not be allowed to give carte blanche to the mass supply of European citizens' data. We are still waiting for real evidence of how effective these measures can be in combating terrorism.

The Commission and Council has a major responsibility to clear up these issues so we are not left with a fudged compromise that jeopardises European citizens' fundamental rights. The European Parliament must play its part by scrutinising the process to ensure that European standards on data protection and privacy are met."