montag
30-06-2008, 09:41 AM
Washington
June 30, 2008
THE United States and European Union are close to an agreement to share private data of their citizens, including credit card information, travel history and internet browsing information.
However, negotiations that began in February 2007 have yet to address whether Europeans would be able to sue the US government for mishandling information, according to an internal report on the potential agreement obtained by The New York Times.
The negotiations are being conducted by the US Department of Homeland Security, the Justice and State departments, and their European counterparts, the paper reported on Saturday.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson did not have an immediate response when asked about the report.
One of the unresolved issues is the EU's privacy rights claims, which would allow citizens of EU countries to sue the US government for any mishandling of their information, under the US Privacy Act of 1974.
The administration of President George Bush opposes such a move, The New York Times reported, because the Privacy Act gives US nationals — but not foreigners — the right to sue, so the act would have to be sent back to the Democrat-controlled Congress to be amended.
Officials consulted by The New York Times said Mr Bush would like to sign the agreement before he leaves office in January and while EU member nations can still approve it individually, before they hand ratification power over to the European Parliament.
AFP (http://www.theage.com.au/world/us-and-eu-look-to-share-private-data-20080629-2yu3.html)
June 30, 2008
THE United States and European Union are close to an agreement to share private data of their citizens, including credit card information, travel history and internet browsing information.
However, negotiations that began in February 2007 have yet to address whether Europeans would be able to sue the US government for mishandling information, according to an internal report on the potential agreement obtained by The New York Times.
The negotiations are being conducted by the US Department of Homeland Security, the Justice and State departments, and their European counterparts, the paper reported on Saturday.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson did not have an immediate response when asked about the report.
One of the unresolved issues is the EU's privacy rights claims, which would allow citizens of EU countries to sue the US government for any mishandling of their information, under the US Privacy Act of 1974.
The administration of President George Bush opposes such a move, The New York Times reported, because the Privacy Act gives US nationals — but not foreigners — the right to sue, so the act would have to be sent back to the Democrat-controlled Congress to be amended.
Officials consulted by The New York Times said Mr Bush would like to sign the agreement before he leaves office in January and while EU member nations can still approve it individually, before they hand ratification power over to the European Parliament.
AFP (http://www.theage.com.au/world/us-and-eu-look-to-share-private-data-20080629-2yu3.html)