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EU Ombudsman growls at European Commission

by on09 October 2014

Hiding spying documents

European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly is furious that the European Commission is sitting on documents connected to US spying apparently because it would hack off the British.

On 25 June 2013, the complainant, a German journalist, asked the Commission for access to documents in its possession in connection with the surveillance of the internet by UK state agencies (mainly the intelligence service 'Government Communications Headquarters', otherwise known as 'GCHQ'), in accordance with EU rules on access to documents.

The Commission's positions said no because that disclosure could negatively impact on the atmosphere of confidence between itself and the UK.

However the United Kingdom actually agreed to the disclosure of the letter and O'Reilly was at a loss to understand how the disclosure of this letter could have the negative consequences to which the Commission has referred.

O'Reilly has demanded that the Commission should grant access to all the other documents requested by the complainant concerning the mass surveillance of the internet by UK state agencies, or properly justify why, in its view, disclosure has to be refused.

 

Last modified on 09 October 2014
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