Primary Colour:
Primary Text:
Secondary Colour:
Secondary Text:
Tertiary Colour:
Tertiary Text:
Colour Picker
Preview
FeaturesTypographyTutorials
Module Title
Home
Module Title

This block of text is used as an example for the colour chooser module on this web site. This paragraph is functionally unimportant, and can safely be ignored.

Module Title
Module Title
Instructions

Select a predefined style from the drop-down or choose your own colours via the handy colour-chooser. When you are satisfied with your selection, click the "Apply Colours" button below to store your selection in a cookie.

Apply Colours

Holyrood opinion poll

With the publication of the interim Calman Report, do you think –
 
Home
Lords committee condemns Europe over terrorism measures Print E-mail
Thursday, 10 May 2007

A House of Lords Committee has today attacked the German presidency of the EU over new anti-terrorism and crime regulations.

The House of Lords European Union Committee claims that the EU is “attempting to bypass the proper procedures in trying to incorporate the Prüm Treaty into EU law”.

The Committee stressed the importance of EU initiatives on increased cross-border cooperation in tackling terrorism and serious crime and said it regretted that these would be replaced by the arrangements between Germany and six other Member States.

The Prüm Treaty between Germany, Austria, Spain, France, and the Benelux countries gives the signatories access to each other’s national databases containing DNA profiles, fingerprints and vehicle registration data. This is being extended to all Member States and will take the place of EU initiatives.

Lord Wright of Richmond, who chaired the Lords Committee looking at the Prüm Treaty, said:

“We have serious concerns about the way the German Presidency are trying to incorporate the Prüm Treaty into EU law.

“What was an agreement between seven Members States is now intended to become law binding across the EU. The Presidency should have followed the established procedures to allow Member States, national parliaments and the European Parliament a proper opportunity to consider the proposal.

“We regret that the Presidency declined to give evidence to the Committee about the proposal. The Presidency proposal needs unanimity. The Government now have an opportunity to ensure that uniform data protection standards are agreed across the EU before anything else is agreed.”

The Committee says it is concerned that the UK has a much lower threshold for collecting and holding DNA profiles and that the DNA database is 50 per cent larger than those of all other Member States combined. In most European states DNA profiles are kept only for criminals convicted of serious offences but in the UK they are kept for most people who are arrested regardless of whether charged or convicted.
No one has commented on this article.
The author or administrator has closed this item for comments.


Related news items:
Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 May 2007 )
 
[ Back ]

Featured sites

Site news...


Have your say: We have introduced a comments system in our news and magazine article sections, submit your comments for approval. Your comments  will feature in the "Your comments" section.
 
Visitors: 6523478
We have 1 guest online