The New Dark Age

19 May 2005 — Statewatch

Full contents see: www.statewatch.org/news

1. EU: SIS II fait accompli? Construction of EU’s Big Brother database underway
2. EU: From the SIS to SIS II and the Visa Information (VIS): the proposals explained
3. Denmark: Greenpeace charged under anti-terror laws
4. European Commission: Technical Mission to Libya on illegal immigration
5. EP: draft report on minimum standards on procedures for granting and withdrawing refugee status
6. EU: European Arrest Warrant figures for 2004
7. UK’s House of Lords report on the European Union Bill – the Constitution’s Passerelle Provisions:
8. Externalisation of controls at the Southern borders of Europe
9. AI: report on: USA: Guantánamo and beyond
10. European Court of Human Rights: Judgement in the case of Ocalan v Turkey
11. European Court of Justice: Judgment in the case of Sison v Council
12. EU: Feasibility study (2002) on: “The setting up of a European Border Police

1. EU: SIS II fait accompli? Construction of EU’s Big Brother database underway – New Analysis from Statewatch

www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/sisII-analysis-may05.pdf

* after four years of secret negotiations a host of new functions are being built into SIS II

* new categories of “violent troublemakers‰, “suspected terrorists‰ and “visa over-stayers‰ planned

* EU Visa Information System to share “biometrics platform‰ with SIS II

* fingerprints and photographs to be included – widened access for law enforcement

* European and national parliaments not yet consulted

2. Statewatch is also releasing a 48-page analysis which first appeared on the Statewatch European Monitoring and Documentation (SEMDOC) website in February 2005:

“From the Schengen Information System to SIS II and the Visa Information (VIS): the proposals explained”:

www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/analysis-sisII.pdf

Sources for this analysis (htm):
www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/sources-SIS-to-SIS%20II-and-VIS.htm

3. Denmark: Greenpeace charged under anti-terror laws:
www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/04greenpeace.htm

4. European Commission: Technical Mission to Libya on illegal immigration – full-text report:
www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/eu-report-libya-ill-imm.pdf

5. Draft European Parliament report on the amended proposal for a Council directive on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing refugee status: www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/draft-EP-rep-asylum-procedures.pdf

6. EU: European Arrest Warrant figures for 2004 covering 17 member states. In 2004 Germany issued 1,300 warrants (compared to 510 in 2003), Spain 668 (compared to 106 in 2003). The EU state which has received the most arrest warrants was the UK with 1,848 (compared to only 76 in 2003):
www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/eaw-fig-2004.pdf

7. EU: European Union Committee in the UK’s House of Lords has published a report on: Clause 2 of the European Union Bill – the Constitution’s Passerelle Provisions:
www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/eu-passerelle-clause-rep.pdf

The Committee expresses strong concern’s over the government’s proposal that the House of Commons alone will be able to register an objection to a measure going through under this clause while the House of Lords will have just 20 days to express a view.

8. Migreurop: Externalisation of controls at the Southern borders of Europe mobilisation and research workshops 20-21 June, Séville:
www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/migreurop-seville.pdf

9. Amnesty International report on: USA: Guantánamo and beyond: The continuing pursuit of unchecked executive power (link to pdf):
web.amnesty.org/library/pdf/AMR510632005ENGLISH/$File/AMR5106305.pdf

10.. European Court of Human Rights: Judgement in the case of Ocalan v Turkey:
www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/echr-ocalan.pdf

The Court found in particular that there had been a violations under Article 6.1 (Fair trial) in that the applicant had not been tried by an independent and impartial tribunal; and a violation of Article 6.1, taken together with Article 6.3 (b) (right to adequate time and facilities for preparation of defence) and (c) (right to legal assistance), in that the applicant had not had a fair trial.

11. European Court of Justice: Judgment in the case of Sison v Council of the European Union:
www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/ecj-sison1.pdf

The Court ruled against the applicant who requested access to documents concerning the decision to place him on the EU terrorrist list. The judgment deals with a number of key points including access to ‘sensitive’ documents, the identity of the third country who provided “evidence” against Mr Sison, access to documents connected with the fight against terrorism.

12. EU: Feasibility study carried out in 2002 on: “The setting up of a European Border Police”:
www.statewatch.org/news/2005/may/eba-feasibility-study.pdf

BOOKMARK

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