<div dir="ltr"><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">La Quadrature du Net</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:contact@laquadrature.net">contact@laquadrature.net</a>></span><br>Date: Tue, Jul 5, 2016 at 11:07 PM<br>Subject: [opennetcoalition] Directive on Terrorism : The EU on a Securitarian and Post-Democratic Drift?<br>To: <a href="mailto:opennetcoalition@laquadrature.net">opennetcoalition@laquadrature.net</a><br><br><br>
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<div>Press Release</div>
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<p><b>Tags : TERRORISM, EU DIRECTIVE, CENSORSHIP, BERNARD CAZENEUVE, CIVIL RIGHTS</b></p>
<p>La Quadrature du Net — For immediate release</p>
<p>Permanent link: <a href="https://www.laquadrature.net/en/terrorism-directive-LIBE" target="_blank">https://www.laquadrature.net/en/terrorism-directive-LIBE</a></p>
<h1>Directive on Terrorism : The EU on a Securitarian and Post-Democratic Drift?</h1>
<p>Paris, july 5 2016 — <strong>Yesterday evening, the LIBE Committee of the European Parliament (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) adopted the draft <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2015/0281%28COD%29&l=FR" target="_blank">Directive on Combating Terrorism</a> proposed by the European Commission by 41 votes to 4 with 10 abstentions. The EPP (conservative) Rapporteur Monika Hohlmeier had turned the directive into a text that will give credence to the worst anti-terrorism and surveillance laws from across the European Union. She clearly bowed under <a href="https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/international/050716/terrorisme-le-lobbying-de-la-france-pour-durcir-la-legislation-europeenne" target="_blank">pressure from the French Government</a> (FR), who is seeking to whitewash its own controversial laws regarding surveillance and websites censorship at the European level.<br>
La Quadrature du Net denounces this "europeanisation" of extrajudicial surveillance and censorship, all the more considering that the process surrounding the directive is in and of itself a staggering denial of democracy: Indeed, the draft Directive will be further discussed in secret "trilogue" negotiations, which will preclude any substantial amendment during the plenary debate of the European Parliament.<br>
Under the guise of security, the European Union is undermining its own fundamental values.</strong></p>
<p>The directive on combating terrorism presented by the Commission in December 2015. It is aimed at improving the cooperation between European law enforcement agencies, and seeks to provide a European framework for member States' national anti-terrorism legislations. However the rapporteur of the LIBE Committee in the EU parliament, Monika Holheimer (EPP) hardened her position under pressure from some member States, and France in particular. She turned it into a text expanding to the European level a number of dangerous measures that will profoundly undermine fundamental rights.</p>
<p>La Quadrature du Net is particularly worried about this blank check given to the extension of websites blocking measures across the European Union (those were introduced in France in 2014). Such online censorship takes place without any prior judicial decision. It is not subject to sufficient legal remedy, and is ineffective. It has therefore been denounced from the very beginning as attacking the freedom of expression and of information. In addition, as pointed out in a <a href="https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=09000016806554c4" target="_blank"> study of the Council of Europe</a>, it is extremeley doubtful that these measures comply with the European Convention on Human Rights. Nevertheless, under
pressure from France, such extrajudicial censorship may be expanded all through the European Union! Similarly, calls for hosting providers to cooporate with public authorities to fight terorism - which is inspired from <a href="https://www.laquadrature.net/en/mep-committee-libe-dati-report" target="_blank">Rachida Dati's dismal report</a> and from the controversial practices of Europol - may accelerate the shift towards censorship and extra-judicial surveillance.</p>
<p>Similarly, the widening scope of individuals and legal persons that could be sued for aiding and abetting terrorism is concerning. The mere knowledge that a tool or a service could be used for terrorist purposes would be sufficient to undergo judiciary prosecutions. Publicly offering an encryption or anonymisation service could therefore be considered as aiding and abetting terrorism.</p>
<p>To make the matter even worse, strong antidemocratic trends within the Europan institutions are at play in the passing of this directive: The LIBE Committee voted <a href="https://www.laquadrature.net/en/terrorism-directive-LIBE" target="_blank">to grant Ms. Hohlmeier a direct negociating mandate</a> in a trilogue with the European Commission and the Council of the European Union before the vote of the draft directive in the plenary session of the European Parliament has taken place<a href="https://www.laquadrature.net/en/terrorism-directive-LIBE#footnote1_sjlg2td" title="According to our informations, a first meeting of the trilogue should take place on 14 July. MEPs who should be present are: Claude
Moraes, Monika Hohlmeier, Caterina Chinnici, Timothy Kirkhope, Petr Jezek, Cornelia Ernst, Eva Joly, Laura Agea et Lorenzo Fontana, whom we should watch carefully." target="_blank">1</a>. The opaque negotiations of the trilogue, where Member States can press to obtain a directive that would legitimise their own national laws without any democratic control, will start on an already very concerning basis. The lack of real parliamentary control and transparency will only make things worse. The rest of MEPs, who will have to vote in plenary session of the European Parliament, will face a done deal and will not be able to amend this anti-terrorism Directive.</p>
<p><strong>"This directive on combating terrorism is very worrying. While efforts for coordination and for a common notions are welcome, a large part of the text encourages the adoption of exceptional measures and risks setting back the rule of law across the European Union. Through pressure from the French government both in the Council and in the LIBE Committe of the European Parliament, the securitarian drift happening in France will scale up at the level of the whole European Union. We call for members of the European Parliament to insist for full transparency during the negociations with member States and the Commission. Fundamental values of the European Union are being endangered, just when they would need to be strenghened.
Negociating dangerous texts in secret won't save the EU, but rather strenghening democratic processes will. It is the only way to obtain withdrawal of the dangerous surveillance and censorship measures that have been voted yesterday, and to return to a substantive approach, respectful of Human Rights and freedoms"</strong> says Adrienne Charmet, campaign coordinator of La Quadrature du Net.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>See also our <a href="https://wiki.laquadrature.net/Directive_Terrorisme/en" target="_blank">analysis</a> of the dispositions of the directive about Internet and electronic communication.</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://www.laquadrature.net/en/terrorism-directive-LIBE#footnoteref1_sjlg2td" target="_blank">1.</a> According to our informations, a first meeting of the trilogue should take place on 14 July. MEPs who should be present are: Claude Moraes, Monika Hohlmeier, Caterina Chinnici, Timothy Kirkhope, Petr Jezek, Cornelia Ernst, Eva Joly, Laura Agea et Lorenzo Fontana, whom we should watch carefully.</p>
<h2>About La Quadrature du Net</h2>
<p>La Quadrature du Net is an advocacy group that defends the rights and freedoms of citizens on the Internet. More specifically, it advocates for the adaptation of French and European legislations to respect the founding principles of the Internet, most notably the free circulation of knowledge.</p>
<p>In addition to its advocacy work, the group also aims to foster a better understanding of legislative processes among citizens. Through specific and pertinent information and tools, La Quadrature du Net hopes to encourage citizens' participation in the public debate on rights and freedoms in the digital age.</p>
<p>La Quadrature du Net is supported by French, European and international NGOs including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Society Institute and Privacy International.</p>
<p>List of supporting organisations: <a href="https://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-la-quadrature-du-net" target="_blank">https://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-la-quadrature-du-net</a></p>
<h2>Press contact and press room</h2>
<p><a href="mailto:contact@laquadrature.net" target="_blank">contact@laquadrature.net</a> – +33 (0)972 294 426</p>
<p><a href="https://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room" target="_blank">https://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room</a></p>
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