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13 March 2012

1.    EU-READMISSION: Turkey: Council of the European Union: Synthesis on Member States’ practical experiences
2.    EU: Council of the European Union: Summary of conclusions of the meeting of the JHA-RELEX Working Party (JAIEX)
3.    EU: Council of the European Union: Useful: Comparative table: Commission proposal for a General Data Protection Regulation
4.    EU: Council of the European Union: Member States and “friends” gear up for “Smart Borders”
5.    UK-EU: UK government: EU agreement: Protection of Classified Information Exchanged in the Interests of the EU
6.    EU: Council of the European Union: Standing Committee on operational cooperation on internal security (COSI)
7.    EU: Council of the European Union:First consideration of the new Regulation on data protection
8.    EU: Justice and Home Affairs Council, 8 March 2012
9.    Spain: Immigration statistics from the interior ministry
10.  EU: Council of the European Union: Joint Customs Operations and Prum data exchange
11.  EU: European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS): regrets the lack of comprehensiveness
12.  CEAR press statement, Friday 16 February 2012: In response to the UN finding the Spanish State guilty for death
13.  EU: Visa Working Party: Outcome: “Non-Paper” from the Commission on Definition of short stay
14.  EU: European Ombudsman: Ombudsman investigates Frontex’s fundamental rights implementation
15.  EU: Updated: Statewatch Justice and Home Affairs “e-library” archive (1976 – 2000)
16.  UK: Report: Lifting the lid on Menwith Hill: The Strategic Roles & Economic Impact of the US Spy Base in Yorkshire
17.  FRONTEX: The reinforcement of Frontex and the intensification of cooperation with third countries
18.  EU-USA: European Parliament questions on: US access to PNR data in Computer Reservation System Amadeus
19.  EU-SCHENGEN: European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS): Speech: “Data Protection and Schengen Governance”
20.  EU: EUROPEAN INVESTIGATION ORDER(EIO)
21.  MIGREUROP ANNUAL REPORT: At the margins of Europe: the externalisation of migration controls
22.  TNI – Statewatch: Counter-terrorism, ‘policy laundering’ and the FATF – legalising surveillance, regulating civil society
23.  ECJ: ACCESS TO EU DOCUMENTS REGULATION: Opinion of Advocate General Cruz VILLALÓN
24.  COE-UK: The United Kingdom should ensure adequate housing for Gypsies and Travellers
25.  France: Convictions stand, shorter sentences on appeal for Vincennes detention centre fire
26.  UK: PUBLIC ORDER: Association of Chief Police Officers
27.  UK: COVERT SURVEILLANCE: Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary: Report
28.  GERMANY: Parliamentary scrutiny unveils undercover “secret police networks”
29.  Italy: Rome city council warns evicted gypsies/Roma: “Accept relocation or we may have to take your children”
30.  Council of Europe: protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data

1. EU-READMISSION: Turkey: Council of the European Union: Working Party on Integration, Migration and Expulsion/Mixed Committee (EU-Iceland/Norway/Switzerland/Liechtenstein): Synthesis on Member States’ practical experiences based on delegations’ responses to questionnaire discussed at the Working Party meeting on 1 February 2012 (19 pages): 012/mar/eu-council-turkey-readmission-delegations-positions-7260-12.pdf

2. EU: Council of the European Union: Summary of conclusions of the meeting of the JHA-RELEX Working Party (JAIEX) on 17 February 2012 Includes: 1) SELEC-Europol cooperation  and  2) USA comments on the EU‘s proposed revision of the 1995 Data Protection Directive: “the US expressed serious concerns about the new proposals for a data protection Regulation and a Directive (which had at the time of the meeting not been tabled). The US stated that these proposals might be an obstacle to fruitful law enforcement cooperation”: 012/mar/eu-council-jha-relex-wp-6758-12.pdf

3. EU: Council of the European Union: Useful: Comparative table: Commission proposal for a General Data Protection Regulation – 1995 Data Protection Directive:
012/mar/eu-council-dp-comparative-table-7455-12.pdf

4. EU: Council of the European Union: Member States and “friends” gear up for “Smart Borders” including full set of documents from 2009 survey, member state by member state on “on the possible creation of a system of electronic recording of entries and exits of third country nationals in the Schengen area”  The Danish Council Presidency held a EU conference on “Innovation Border Management” in February 2012. It was attended by EU Member States, associate Schengen States (ie: Norway and Switzerland), Frontex, the USA, the United Arab Emirates and IATA:
012/mar/05eu-smart-borders.htm

5. UK-EU: UK government: Agreement between the Member States of the European Union, meeting within the Council, regarding the Protection of Classified Information Exchanged in the Interests of the European Union: 
012/mar/eu-uk-classified-information.pdf

6. EU: Council of the European Union: Standing Committee on operational cooperation on internal security (COSI): EU Policy Cycle process review: From OCTA to OAP:
012/feb/eu-council-cosi-eu-policy-cycle-octa-oap-5751-rev1-12.pdf

and Strategic goals related to the EU‘s priorities for the fight against organised crime between 2011 and 2013: 
012/feb/eu-council-cosi-strategic-goals-15850-11.pdf

7.  EU: Council of the European Union:First consideration of the new Regulation on data protection: Working Party on Information Exchange and Data Protection (DAPIX): Summary of discussions:012/mar/eu-council-dp-wp-reg-7221-12.pdf

8.EU: Justice and Home Affairs Council, 8 March 2012: Press release:
012/mar/eu-council-jha-8-mar-prel.pdf

“B” Points agenda (for discussion: 012/mar/eu-council-jha-8-mar-pts-b.pdf
“A” Points – Legislative (adopted without discussion): 012/mar/eu-council-jha-8-mar-pts-a-legis.pdf
“A” Points – Non-legislative (adopted without discussion): 012/mar/eu-council-jha-8-mar-pts-a-non-legis.pdf

9. Spain: Immigration statistics from the interior ministry:
012/mar/04spain-imm-stats.htm

10. EU: Council of the European Union: Joint Customs Operations and Prum data exchange

– Joint Customs Operations (JCO) “Recommendation monitoring file”: 012/mar/eu-council-joint-customs-operations-6975-12.pdf

– Prum: Decisions” – overview of documents and procedures – overview of declarations – state of play of implementation of automated data exchange: 
012/mar/eu-council-prum-impl-overview-5086-rev1-12.pdf

11.  EU: European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS): EDPS applauds strengthening of the right to data protection in Europe, but still regrets the lack of comprehensiveness (Press release):
012/mar/eu-edps-dp-package-prel.pdf

Full-text of Opinion: 012/mar/eu-edps-dp-package-opinion.pdf

On the proposed Directive on data protection for the exchange of data by law enforcement agencies the EDPS concludes:“in many aspects the Proposal does not meet the requirement of a consistent and high level of data protection”. Peter Hustinx, EDPS, says: “The proposed rules for data protection in the law enforcement area are unacceptably weak. In many instances there is no justification whatsoever for departing from the rules provided in the proposed Regulation. The law enforcement area requires some specific rules, but not a general lowering of the level of data protection.”

12. CEAR press statement, Friday 16 February 2012: In response to the UN finding the Spanish State guilty for the death of the Senegalese Sonko: 
012/mar/02cear-press-statement.htm

13. Visa Working Party: Outcome (pdf), including “Non-Paper” from the Commission on Definition of short stay ­ Changes required in the legal acts in the area of visa policy: 012/mar/eu-council-visa-wp-6506-12.pdf

14. EU: European Ombudsman: Ombudsman investigates Frontex’s fundamental rights implementation: Letter to Frontex: 
012/mar/eu-ombuds-frontex-inquiry.pdf

15. EU: Updated: Statewatch European Monitoringand Documentation Centre (SEMDOC) Justice and Home Affairs “e-library” archive (1976 – 2000): Weekly Highlighted documents: http://www.statewatch.org/semdoc/index.php?id=1152

Update including: Interim report to the Council concerning current discussions on extradition (1993), Draft Council Recommendation concerning a specimen bilateral readmission agreement between a Member State of the EU and a third country (1994) and Cooperation in the area of public order – Use of liaison officers (Resticted, 1994)

Search JHA archive – EU Justice and Home Affairs documents from 1976 onwards: (currently holds 5,030 documents):
http://www.statewatch.org/semdoc/index.php?id=1143

16.  UK: Report: Lifting the lid on Menwith Hill: The Strategic Roles & Economic Impact of the US Spy Base in Yorkshire:“Menwith Hill is just one of the many US bases in the UK ­ this report demonstrates that not only is there a real need to discover more about the activities and impact of these bases on local communities, but they also present important challenges to the national sovereignty and inter-national standing of the UK. It seems sensible therefore that Menwith Hill is held to account.”
012/mar/uk-menwith-hill-lifting-the-lid.pdf

17. FRONTEX: The reinforcement of Frontex and the intensification of cooperation with third countries:
012/mar/01frontex.htm

18. EU-USA: European Parliament questions on: US access to PNR data in Computer Reservation System Amadeus: Eight questions: “Computer Reservation System Amadeus has its headquarters in Madrid (Spain) and its central database in Erding (Germany):
012/mar/ep-com-veld-amadeus-question.pdf

19. EU-SCHENGEN: European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS): Speech at: Conference “Upholding Freedom of Movement: an Improved Schengen Governance” European Parliament, Brussels, 8 February 2012: “Data Protection and Schengen Governance” Peter Hustinx, European Data Protection Supervisor:
012/mar/eu-edps-schengen-speech.pdf

20. EU: EUROPEAN INVESTIGATION ORDER(EIO): Council of the European Union: State of play in agreeing its negotiating position: Initiative of Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Spain, Austria, Slovenia and Sweden for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council regarding the European Investigation Order in criminal matters – Preamble, forms and annex related to Article 29.1 Note even here there are still 95 Member State reservations:
012/mar/eu-council-eio-7014-12.pdf

21. MIGREUROP ANNUAL REPORT: At the margins of Europe: the externalisation of migration controls (116 pages):
http://www.migreurop.org/article2074.html

22. Transnational Institute (TNI) – Statewatch: Counter-terrorism, ‘policy laundering’ and the FATF – legalising surveillance, regulating civil society (Press release):
012/mar/tni-sw-fafp-prel.pdf

– Executive Summary: 012/mar/tni-sw-fafp-exec-summary.pdf
– Full text of report: http://www.statewatch.org/analyses/no-171-fafp-report.pdf

23. ECJ: ACCESS TO EU DOCUMENTS REGULATION: Opinion of Advocate General Cruz VILLALÓN delivered on 1 March 2012 Case C-135/11 P IFAW Internationaler Tierschutz-Fonds gGmbH: “Right of access to documents of the institutions – Documents originating from a Member State – Objection of the Member State to disclosure of the documents – Scope of the institutions’ review of the reasons for the Member State’s objection” and “I propose that the Court should: Allow the appeal in part by upholding the second part of the second ground of appeal, alleging misinterpretation of Article 4(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.”:
012/mar/ecj-access-ms-opinion.pdf

24. COE-UK: The United Kingdom should ensure adequate housing for Gypsies and Travellers* (Press release):
012/mar/coe-uk-gypsies-travellers.pdf

“The rights of Gypsies and Travellers to adequate housing are undermined throughout the United Kingdom. The authorities must uphold this right, which is a pre-condition for the enjoyment of other human rights, including the rights to education and health” stated Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, while releasing a letter addressed to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in the United Kingdom, the Rt Hon Eric Pickles.”.

25. France: Convictions stand, shorter sentences on appeal for Vincennes detention centre fire:
012/feb/03france-vincesses.htm

26. UK: PUBLIC ORDER: Association of Chief Police Officers, Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and National Policing Improvement Agency: Manual of Guidance on keeping the peace:012/jan/uk-manual-public-order-2010.pdf

See also: 2004-ACPO Manual of Guidance-Public Order: Standards, Tactics, Training (Restricted version, link):
http://mob.indymedia.org.uk/media/2011/10/486401.pdf

And Ministry of Justice: Prisons: Use of force training manual: 012/jan/uk-prisons-use-of-force-manual.pdf

27.  UK: COVERT SURVEILLANCE: Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary: Report: A review of national police units which provide intelligence on criminality associated with protest: 012/feb/uk-hmic-police-undercover-report.pdf

See also: Police spies: watchdog calls for safeguards over ‘intrusive tactic’ – Inspector criticises ‘intrusion’ into activists’ lives by undercover officer Mark Kennedy (Guardian, link): “A clandestine operation that secretly deployed police spies in political groups for 40 years is severely criticised today by the official policing inspectorate” but says it should carry on:012/feb/02/police-spies-watchdog-tactic/print

28. GERMANY: Parliamentary scrutiny unveils undercover “secret police networks”
012/feb/02germany-int-undercoverr.htm

29. Italy: Rome city council warns evicted gypsies/Roma: “Accept relocation or we may have to take your children”
012/feb/01italy-roma.htm

30. Council of Europe: The Consultative Committee of the Convention for the protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data: Modernisation of Convention 108: new proposals:012/mar/coe-processing-personal-data-revision.pdf

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