By Bruno Waterfield - 16th May 2004
The European Parliament would not have to pick up the pieces of a suspended EU-US anti-terror agreement, Chris Patten said on Monday.
The EU external relations chief has defended a European Commission decision to give the all clear to controversial handovers of air passenger data to US security agencies.
Patten insisted that calls by MEPs to halt the Trans-Atlantic deal amid privacy concerns would damage the EU’s negotiating credibility and bring travel hell for Europeans.
“Were we to put this on ice we would have tens of thousands of European holiday-makers standing in queues at American airports,” he told journalists.
“I don’t think we would have many MEPs accepting responsibility for that.”
National governments signed off the Trans-Atlantic accord after Brussels on Monday found air data transfers 'adequate' within EU data protection law.
Patten dismissed a legal challenge by MEPs who claim that the parliament has not been properly consulted on the security agreement with Washington.
“We think we have very solid legal grounds,” he stressed. “Our strong legal advice is that the agreement is soundly based.”
MEPs have reacted with fury to the deal, Johanna Boogerd-Quaak accused Patten and national governments of showing “contempt for the rule of law in the EU.”
The Dutch MEP tabled and won parliament resolutions calling on the European Court of Justice to rule on the data exchanges.
“Refusing to wait for the court's opinion is disrespectful to the authority of the court and a breach of the duty of loyal co-operation between EU institutions,” she said.
Boogerd-Quaak argues that “that this agreement is legally flawed both in terms of substance and the way it was adopted”.
“When parliament reconvenes in July I will recommend to colleagues that they pursue the matter further. One way or the other, this issue will end up before the European Court of Justice,” she warned.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.