Personal data protection must remain a fundamental right - Press release 17 October 2012

Following the presentation by Commissioner Reding of the objectives of the new legislative framework for personal data protection, AEDH calls on MEPs to ensure full protection of citizens’ fundamental rights. AEDH condemns the approach presented by the European Commission which considers personal data protection as a means to achieve economic growth rather than as a fundamental right.

AEDH welcomes the European Parliament’s dismissal of the ACTA treaty – a major step forward - Press release 5 July 2012

AEDH welcomes the European Parliament’s decision to finally reject the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement by an overwhelming majority (478 against, 39 in favour, 165 abstentions).

The EU-US PNR Agreement adopted by the majority of MEPs is a threat to citizens’ rights - Press release 21 May 2012

In an unexpected move, on April 19th 2012 the European Parliament adopted the EU-US PNR Agreement concerning the transmission of flight passenger data to the American authorities.

Citizens’ rights must be guaranteed, the European Parliament should reject the new EU-US agreement on PNR - Press release 18 April 2012

The AEDH asks MEPs to disapprove the new EU-US agreement, concerning the transmission of data of passengers travelling to or from the US (PNR) to American authorities. It doesn’t offer enough safeguards for data protection and privacy.

New EU-US PNR Agreement: with no improvement of guarantees, the agreement must be rejected by the European Parliament! - Press release 25 January 2012

AEDH would like to draw MEPs’ attention to the new EU-US agreement and the lack of guarantees concerning the protection of personal data and privacy, regarding passengers travelling to and from the United States, and the transmitting of their data to the American authorities (PNR).

AEDH speech at the occasion of the « Freedom Not Fear » demonstration - 17 September 2011

Maryse Artiguelong – who is the deputy General Secretary of the French Human Rights League (LDH) and an individual member of AEDH in charge of dealing with issues related to data protection – spoke on behalf on AEDH at the occasion of the “Freedom not Fear” demonstration held in Brussels on September 17th 2011.

AEDH response to the Council of Europe on the modernization of the Convention No 108 - 10 March 2011

The AEDH thanks the Council of Europe, not only for its initiative to update the Convention No 108, but also for the quality of its questionings regarding the current challenges. They are indeed very general first because of the place of new technologies in our life but also because of the rate, as well as the global nature, of inventions.

Summary of the answer to the consultation on the general framework of data protection in the EU - 1st June 2011

AEDH wrote a summary of its answer to the consultation on the general approach to the data protection EU framework as to put in light the fundamental aspects of the reform.

Security Scanners in EU Airports: Seeking the Mythical Absolute in Security - 15 February 2011

The AEDH is extremely concerned about the use of body scanners in Europe. After giving its opinion on the European Commission’s communication of 15 June 2010i, it would like to take this opportunity to express its position on the use of security scanners in general. Body, or "security", scanners have serious consequences for privacy and the protection of personal data. The need for such equipment, as well the implications of its use, must therefore be thoroughly evaluated.

AEDH reponse to the Commission’s consultation on a general approach to the protection of personal data in the EU - 15 January 2011

The AEDH welcomes the fact that the European Commission carries out a consultation on the modification of the 1995 Directive on data protection. The AEDH indeed thinks that it’s time to amend that Directive as to conform it with technologic changes that happened since 1995 and to comply with European and national developments in case law.

Contribution of the AEDH to the questionnaire from the European Commission on the futur of the data protection - 1st July 2010

The objectives of the evaluation of the Directive and its possible revision are welcome positively since at any time they will reduce the level of protection. However, AEDH, through this questionnaire, attempts to give some impetus and ideas for the future revision of the legislative framework on the protection of personal data in the EU.

"Under surveillance": the flipbook - 5 May 2010

Our personal data are everywhere. RFID tags, biometric passports, GSM/GPS and social networks...police databases, commercial databases...Information and communication technologies (ICT) makethe daily life easier but, unless we are careful, they can lead us to hand over excessive amounts of our personal data and to put ourselves...under surveillance!

Personal data: a comic book to raise awareness among European young adults - Press release, 7 April 2010

Information and communication technologies (telephone, Internet, emails, blogs and social networks) make daily life and relationships with our relatives, friends or even strangers easier. Young people and young adults make a particularly intense use of them. However, unless we are careful, they can lead us to hand over excessive amounts of our personal data, facilitating surveillance of our private lives. Protection of personal data is crucial for the respect for privacy. The European Union has established a legislative and regulatory framework which aims at ensuring the protection of citizens’ personal data as one of their fundamental rights. What is the reality in practice and how can we protect ourselves on a daily basis?

AEDH response to the European Commission consultation on the future EU-US international agreement on personal data protection and information sharing for law enforcement purposes - 26 March 2010

The European Association for the Defense of Human Rights deems it legitimate for the European Union and the United States to search for ways to fight together against serious transnational crime and terrorism. In this context, there is an obvious need to access and to share personal data, but such access can only be achieved through respect of the fundamental rights established in international conventions recognized by the stakeholders of this agreement. Privacy and individual rights must be respected, with the establishment of compensatory measures when these rights are limited in such circumstances. These measures can take the form of transparency, effectively independent supervisory authorities, and with the possibility of judicial remedy for the individuals concerned.

Questions to the European authorities concerning the agreement between the EU and the United States on the processing of financial messaging data from the EU to the USA - 15 February 2010

AEDH protests against the enforcement of the temporary agreement between the EU and the USA on the processing of Financial Messaging Data from the European Union to the United States. In the present document, the AEDH asks about the content and the implications of this agreement.

The agreement between the EU and the United-States on the processing of financial messaging data must not be implemented - Press release, 11 February 2010

AEDH protests against the enforcement of the temporary agreement between the EU and the USA on the processing of Financial Messaging Data from the European Union to the United States for the purpose of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program. This agreement was approved by the Council on 30 November 2009, to avoid the co-decision procedure of the Lisbon Treaty (enforceable since 1 December 2009) and the observations made by the European Parliament. But it requires the latter’s assent. The parliamentary Committee on “Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs” had the courage to vote against this agreement. We ask the European Parliament to stand against it.

AEDH response to the European Commission consultation on the legal framework for the fundamental right to protection of personal data - 19 January 2010

The European Commission recently presented an opportunity for civil society to be heard on an issue that has become crucial in today’s society to the future of democracy: the effectiveness of the fundamental right to protection of personal data. The European Association for the defence of Human Rights (AEDH) would like to take advantage of this public consultation to express its opinions and indicate the guidelines it feels should be applied.

The AEDH has signed the civil society Declaration for "Global privacy standards for a Global World" - November, 3rd 2009

The AEDH has signed the civil society Declaration for “Global privacy standards for a Global world”. On November, 3rd, the AEDH will attend the conference organized by the Public Voice coalition in Madrid, on this topic.

The European Criminal Records Information (ECRIS) creates new risks for the protection of personal data - October, 23rd 2008

On June 2007, the Council reached a political agreement on a project for a directive on the organization and the content of exchanges between member states of information extracted from criminal records. On May the 27th, 2008, the Commission presented a proposal for a Council decision on the establishment of the European criminal records information system (ECRIS) in application of Article 11 of Framework Decision 2008/XX/JHA. On October the 9th, 2008, the European Parliament adopted the report on this proposal and submitted amendments to the text of the Commission.

No to the generalised use of air passengers databases - Press release, November, 16th 2009

AEDH has been watching, with great concern, the transformation of Europe from a haven of civil liberties to a surveillance zone. The number of initiatives drawn up to combat a vague, ill-defined terrorist threat has been multiplying in the European area. Such moves attempt to subject European and foreign citizens living or travelling in Europe to restrictions that go against the fundamental principles of the human rights protection.

Directive on data retention: the threat of a Europe under supervision - Press release, December, 8th 2005

In Strasbourg next 12 December, the European Parliament will meet in order to vote the Draft Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the retention of data processed in connection with the provision of public electronic communication services ". This proposal states, in order to fight terrorism, the systematic, disproportioned and obligatory retention of data from all kind of communications done by telephone or Internet within the territory of a Member State of the European Union.

Biometry and electronic ID card: Big Brother is watching you - Press release, November 2006

The British government wishes to mark of its seal the presidency of the European Union: it intends to make compulsory the biometric recording information on the population of all the Member States (cf. Drafts Conclusions of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States on common minimum security standards for Members States’ national identity cards)