NSA and Edward Snowden

The disclosure of classified information about the practices of intelligence services such as the NSA or GCHQ throughout the world by Edward Snowden opened our eyes and showed that we have to end this mass surveillance. We are thankful to Edward Snowden that he disclosed these documents and shared them with us. Instead of prosecution, Edward Snowden should receive a safe residence and political asylum in the EU. The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee, at the request of the Green Group in the European Parliament, has initiated an investigation which should be supported by all EU governments so that all the evidence can be collected and the network of cooperation of intelligence services can be exposed.bru

The European Greens call for the following actions:

-       Edward Snowden should be granted political asylum in the EU.

-       The EU must take joint action to protect its citizens and companies from espionage and mass surveillance.

-       National parliaments should set up their own parliamentary inquiries into the national security measures taken in their respective EU member states.

-       TTIP negotiations without strong privacy rights make no sense. Therefore, the EU should press for the immediate completion of negotiations on a data protection framework agreement for the law enforcement sector between the EU and the US.

-       The current SWIFT, PNR and Safe Harbour agreements between the US and the European Union should be suspended and then renegotiated.

-       The European Court of Human Rights should check the alleged actions of intelligence services to determine if they are in breach of article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

-       The reform of EU data protection legislation must be urgently completed and implemented. EU national governments must live up to their announcements and support the proposals by the European Parliament Civil Liberties committee.

-       Any ‘no spy’ agreement with the US should not just protect political leaders from espionage, but also protect all European citizens from mass surveillance.

-       Whistleblowers need protection. We urge the EU member states to propose effective laws to protect whistleblowers from prosecution in their own state or in foreign states.

Justification

The visit of German Green MP Hans-Christian Ströbele with Edward Snowden in early November showed clearly that Edward Snowden wants to come to the European Union to get asylum. The new revelations that the British Embassy in Berlin is a secret listening post and that other embassies operate the same practices show clearly that there is also a huge problem of espionage between European states.