Projet de loi portant assentiment à l'Accord entre le Royaume de Belgique et les Etats-Unis d'Amérique sur le renforcement de la coopération dans la prévention et la lutte contre la criminalité grave, établi à Bruxelles le 20 septembre 2011.
General information ¶
- Submitted by
-
The Senate
- Submission date
- Oct. 1, 2013
- Official page
- Visit
- Status
- Adopted
- Requirement
- Simple
- Subjects
- United States international agreement fight against crime exchange of information
Voting ¶
- Voted to adopt
- CD&V Vooruit LE PS | SP Open Vld N-VA LDD MR VB
- Voted to reject
- Groen Ecolo
Party dissidents ¶
- Bernard Clerfayt (MR) voted to reject.
- Olivier Maingain (MR) voted to reject.
Contact form ¶
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Discussion ¶
March 13, 2014 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)
Full source
Rapporteur Herman De Croo ⚙
We have had a lively discussion in the committee. The colleagues Deseyn, Demol, Vienne, me, Van der Maelen, Boulet and de Donnea held a presentation.
Three points are interesting to mention here.
First, the present agreement has nothing to do with the issues of privacy and intelligence that we have already talked about, including in the House plenary session.
Second, we regret that the European Union did not have the mandate to initiate those negotiations with the United States, which led the Member States to have separate treaties.
Third, the exchange of – this word is worth it – fingerprint data and DNA profiles will be done anonymously to ensure privacy.
The bill was approved by 11 votes in favour, one against and one abstention.
Els Demol N-VA ⚙
Mr De Croo, I was also present. I also participated.
Herman De Croo Open Vld ⚙
( ... ... )
Els Demol N-VA ⚙
My party will approve the bill, of course. We support cooperation in preventing and combating serious crime.
Although the Agreement does not prejudice existing rights regarding the processing and exchange of personal data, we regret, nevertheless, that no detailed safeguards in respect of privacy are included. We also regret that the final version of the text was not submitted again to the Commission on the Protection of Privacy.
The representative of the Attorney General pointed out in the committee the political difficulties that the introduction of detailed safeguards in the U.S. Congress would bring. However, such an argument cannot be invoked as an excuse for not submitting the final text to its own Committee on the Protection of Privacy.
I would like the Minister to give a reply to that.