In light of Commission classifying of a reply to MEPs on EU-US data protection arrangements, GUE/NGL MEP Cornelia Ernst has said that “the European Parliament makes a mockery and an accomplice of itself if it accepts these restrictions without resistance.”

The Commission strictly classified its response letter to questions from members of Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) on an EU-US agreement on the data transfers for use in prosecutions.

She said: “Whenever the Commission deals with issues that involve the United States, the public will be locked out. It is absolutely incomprehensible that the Commission's response is that this information is classified. We need to know which data transfers are covered by this agreement and what is covered by the term 'national security'.”

“The Commission is bound by the inter-institutional rules and I highly doubt that these have been observed here. Therefore, I will prepare an action before the European Court of Justice on this.”

Notes to editors:

1) Click here for the questions from the members of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and here for the Security Briefing of the European Parliament, which all Members who have access to restricted documents must sign.

GUE/NGL Press:
David Lundy +32 470 85 05 09
Emily Macintosh +32 470 85 05 08
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20