EP Report says Member States concealed information on illegal CIA flights
Member States choking investigation on CIA flights
Wednesday 14 February 2007
MEPs have voted favourably to a highly critical report accusing 14 Member States of accepting and concealing illegal actions conducted by the CIA from 2001 to 2005 such as transporting presumed terrorists using European airspace. The debate in the EP was nevertheless tumultuous, with 382 MEPs in favour, 256 against and 74 abstentions. Inside the Parliament, most of the critics came from the centre-right group who believed the report is biased, anti-American and lacking evidence.
The non-binding report concluded that independent enquiries should be conducted at national level, and that all European countries should have specific national laws to regulate and monitor the activities of third countries' secret services on their national territories."
The MEP in charge of the temporary committee leading the investigation welcomed the vote but he expressed his concern about the various pressures exerted by national governments. Some MEPs deplored the lack of cooperation of many Member States and of the Council of the EU towards the temporary committee. The Council, they said, initially withheld - and then provided only partial fragments of - information pertaining to regular discussions with high-level US officials.
For the partisans of more integration, this is another example of the need to speak with one voice. Portuguese centre-right MEP Carlos Coelho declared that we need more solidarity in Europe, but it confuses different issues. To speak with one voice is one issue, to improve transparency, control on governments and set up liabilities is another. If tomorrow Europe speaks with one voice, what guarantee will there be that it does take all the appropriate measures to prevent illegal secret agreements?
Sources: European Parliament, EUobserver