News

Left-liberal attack against EU counter terrorism policy

Left-liberal attack against EU counter terrorism policy

2011. 09. 13.

During the year-long preparations in the LIBE committee the EPP Group represented an unanimously firm position by expressing its discontent over the tone as well as the subject matter of the report. As EPP Group shadow rapporteur, MEP Ágnes Hankiss has had a firm and negative opinion about the report from the beginnings which has been shared by the EPP Group as well.

Reservations to the report were twofold: a matter of both principle and practical approach. The shadow rapporteur has been critical of the tone determined by prejudices, an assumption that counter terrorism simply keeps violating human rights, operates with excessive budgets and exaggerates threats. These propagandistic assumptions were based on hypotheses to which no evidence was provided by the rapporteur.

On the other hand, goals laid down in the report are hardly feasible in practice on which the rapporteur has no intention to reflect. With data being classified for security reasons, to what extent and on which benchmarks should the proportionality between the cost of a preventive counter terrorism operation and the threat level be assessed? Why does the rapporteur believe that either secret services of Member States or EU security agencies would grant civilians access to their most sensitive data thus putting European security at risk? How could we assess proportionality without the knowledge of these extremely sensitive bits of information?

As staunch supporters of transparency and accountability, EPP Group stands for overseeing counter terrorism policies, however within the established competence of designated authorities and not ad hoc bodies made up of ambitious civilians or self-declared politicians. Demoralising counter terrorism, especially nowadays, is a proof of irresponsible behaviour thus the EPP Group is not in a position to support a report reflecting any political campaign jeopardising the security of millions of citizens.