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EU: Data retention a step closer - privacy sell out as EP committee approves "compromises" reached in secret meetings

01 November 2005

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Provisional EP report. An alliance between PPE (conservative) and PSE (socialist) MEPs on the European Parliament's civil liberties committee has adopted a series of amendments to the Alvaro report on data retention, overturning earlier opposition to the proposals and demands to restrict them. The "compromise" amendments, which pave the way for the mandatory retention of everyone's telephone and internet usage records for one year, follow secret "trialogue" meetings between representatives of the EP and the Council (representing the member state governments) and unprecedented pressure on MEPs from the UK presidency. The vote was 33 to 8 in favour of the PPE-PSE amendments, with 5 abstentions, green and left MEPs voting against (see Green group press release). The report may now be fast tracked through the December plenary session of the EP (scheduled for the week beginning Monday 12 December).

For full background, see Statewatch's Observatory on the surveillance of telecommunications in the EU

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