PACE: Urgent appeal to Assembly to restore its credibility

Published: 24 April 2018

Statement UEL on follow up of report on allegations of corruption within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The Group of the Unified European Left (UEL) urgently appeals to all its colleagues in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe – including all of its political groups and national delegations – to spare no effort to restore the credibility of the Assembly, after the findings of the Independent Body on the allegations of corruption within the Parliamentary Assembly.

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Secret alerts are increasing rapidly. Why?

Published: 21 March 2018

“I view the growing number of Schengen Information System secret alerts with concern: compared with 2016, the issuing of such alerts has increased from around 96,000 (as of: 1 January 2017) to almost 130,000 (as of: 1 January 2018). The reason for secret alerts being issued for an additional 34,000 people must be made clear”, demanded Andrej Hunko, European policy spokesman for the Left Party parliamentary group in the German Bundestag.

Article 36 of the Council Decision on the Schengen Information System (SIS) permits alerts to be issued for “discreet checks”. They can be carried out by any EU member state in order to obtain information on the movements and contacts of the persons under surveillance. If the individuals in question are intercepted within the Schengen area, the authority that issued the alert is notified. The place, time and grounds for the check, itinerary, accompanying persons and items carried are recorded.

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Sharp increase of secret alerts in the Schengen Information System

Written by: Matthias Monroy

Published: 01 March 2018

European police forces and secret services use SIS II for covert surveillance of persons and property. The authorities are informed about suspects’ itineraries and persons accompanying them. The EU interior ministries are now discussing the further expansion of this surveillance method. Hits could be reported to several or all member states.

By Matthias Monroy

Secret alerts are being issued for increasing numbers of people in the European Union. This emerged from the Federal Ministry of the Interior’s response to a written inquiry. According to that, 129,412 persons were placed under secret surveillance using the Schengen Information System (SIS II) last year. In 2016, this figure was around 80,000. No information is available regarding the reasons for this sharp increase.

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Bundestag study: Cooperation with Libyan coastguard infringes international conventions

Published: 23 February 2018

“Libya is unable to nominate a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), and so rescue missions outside its territorial waters are coordinated by the Italian MRCC in Rome. More and more often the Libyan coastguard is being tasked to lead these missions as on-scene-commander. Since refugees are subsequently brought to Libya, the MRCC in Rome may be infringing the prohibition of refoulement contained in the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. This, indeed, was also the conclusion reached in a study produced by the Bundestag Research Service. The European Union and its member states must therefore press for an immediate end to this cooperation with the Libyan coastguard”, says Andrej Hunko, European policy spokesman for the Left Party.

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Five million euros for Europol’s “decryption platform”

Written by: Matthias Monroy

Published: 15 February 2018

The EU is looking to improve its capabilities to circumvent and crack encryptions. Member states are to invest in hardware and software with Europol coordinating these efforts

By Matthias Monroy

The police agency Europol is set to receive a further 5 million euros to reinforce its capabilities with regard to decrypting content, as was reported by the European Commission in its Thirteenth progress report towards an effective and genuine Security Union. According to the report, the money will be set aside in the Europol budget for 2018. The Commission had already pledged these funds in its twelfth progress report, but did not disclose the amount until 24 January. Prior to this, the EU home affairs ministers had called for further support at their December meeting.

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The UEL Group to hear presentation by Ukrainian journalist Mr. Ruslan Kotsaba

Published: 25 January 2018

During the PACE January part session the UEL Group invited Mr. Ruslan Kotsaba, a Western Ukrainian journalist and blogger, who had been previously convicted on treason charges, to hear about his case during its Group meeting.

Mr. Kotsaba was sentenced to two years in prison after calling on Ukrainians to refuse being drafted into the civil war. After his arrest which is a clear example of the violation of article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights which guarantees the freedom of expression 21 Members of PACE calledfor an immediate release of Ruslan Kotsaba in a written declaration issued during the PACE third part session in 2016.

Since being freed, Mr. Kotsaba has been an outspoken opposition voice who recently has been assaulted in the street by right-wing hooligans and has now come under threat of arrest facing a trial on 31 January.

Quelle: http://gue-uel.org/the-uel-group-to-hear-presentation-by-ukrainian-journalist-mr-ruslan-kotsaba/

EU migration control: easier access to satellite intelligence

Written by: Matthias Monroy

Published: 24 January 2018

Earth observation is playing an increasingly important role in European security and defence policy. Greater synergies are to be achieved between civil and military capabilities in future. This is being trialled in the field of migration control: satellites are providing information about refugees’ “hiding places”, among other things. The border agency Frontex is one of the organisations using this information.