Your Say

20/05/2007

Welsh MEP calls for change over CIA terrorism tactics

Anti-terrorism tactics by America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have damaged the US’ relations with the EU and should be changed, claims Conservative MEP for Wales Jonathan Evans.

Mr Evans made the call while speaking at Congress in Washington, during a briefing at the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

It was the first briefing of its kind between the European Parliament and Congress, and Mr Evans was leading a delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

The committee has written a report criticising the CIA’s practice of rendition – the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners - within the borders or airspace of the EU.

The report also accuses Britain, Poland, Italy and other nations of colluding with the CIA to transport terror suspects to secret prisons in third countries.

“For us as European parliamentarians, the very notion of “rendition” or “extradition” done outside the control of any judicial authority within the territory of the European Union is a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights,” Mr Evans said.

“It conflicts with all existing bilateral agreements on extradition concluded between the US and each of the EU member states.

“Europeans have shown themselves to be consistent and reliable partners in the fight against international terrorism, but we have also maintained our determination to uphold our well-established values on human rights. It is essential for us that in challenging totalitarianism we never lose sight of the importance of our democratic principles.”

Mr Evans outlined how the debate over the legality of detentions and other activities in Guantanamo Bay were harming relations between the US and the EU.

“While it is understandable that, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the administration had to resort to emergency measures, almost six years after the events, the time has undoubtedly come for a revision and stabilisation of the legal framework.”

He said that Europeans view renditions “as evidence of an abuse of the due process of law” and pointed to a survey which showed that the majority of European citizens polled thought it was likely that prisoners subject to rendition were likely to have been tortured.

The same survey showed that the majority of US respondents thought that terror suspects should also be entitled to the rights of due process.

Another survey has recorded a negative shift in the European public’s attitudes towards the US, but in the same survey, the opinions of EU officials towards the US have improved – evidence, said Mr Evans, that efforts to promote dialogue between the EU and US governments was working.

“The revelations concerning rendition may well have played their part in undermining wider efforts to improve these public attitudes,” he said.

As President of the European Parliament’s Delegation to the United States, Mr Evans holds a pivotal role in maintaining good relations between the EU and the US.

“I strongly believe that we must endeavour to build a better dialogue between the EU and the US.
“We are allies who share common values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. The circulation of people, the judiciary and exchanges of information for security purposes must be framed with international agreements negotiated between US Congress and the European Parliament.”

His comments were supported by Committee Chairman Congressman Delahunt who thanked Mr Evans and the European Parliament.

back to news page