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EU-USA: SWIFT AGREEMENT: European Parliament votes down SWIFT agreement with the USA

01 February 2010

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European Parliament votes down SWIFT agreement with the USA (Press release, pdf) The Parliament refused on Thursday to give its consent to the EU's interim agreement on banking data transfers to the USA via the SWIFT network, amid concerns for privacy, proportionality and reciprocity. This move renders the text signed between the US and the 27 EU Member states legally void. MEPs propose to negotiate a new agreement.

The resolution rejecting the agreement was approved by 378 votes to 196, with 31 abstentions. A proposal by the EPP and ECR groups to postpone the vote was rejected by 290 votes to 305, with 14 abstentions

Background: Hilary Clinton (US Secretary of State) and Timothy Geithner (US Secretary of Treasury) are putting pressure on the parliament urging the parliament to change its mind: Clinton-Geithner letter to EP (pdf). Letter from the President of the European Parliament to the Council of the European Union: EP Letter (pdf). And in the flurry of activity the Council (27 governments) has adopted a Declaration: Draft Council declaration (pdf) and under pressure from the parliament to provide more information have published: Declassified Council Decision (pdf)

See:

- SWIFT: Civil Liberties Committee recommends rejecting the agreement (EP press release, pdf)
- Draft EP Resolution (pdf)
- Opinion of the EP Legal Service (pdf)
- Opinion of the European Data Protection Supervisor (pdf)
- Opinion of the Article 29 Working Party (pdf)
- Draft EU-USA SWIFT Agreement (pdf)

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