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Placed under surveillance by order of Brussels

As reported in the Daily Telegraph this morning, the Government only has until the end of the month to decide whether to opt-in to the new European Investigation Order (EIO).

European Billiard Ball The EIO is an amendment of sorts to the 'European Evidence Warrant’ (EEW) established in December 2008, which provided for the transfer of certain but restricted amounts of data between EU member states in the event of an arrest. 

The EIO changes this considerably to include immediate access to criminal records as well as almost every conceivable investigative measure. As the Telegraph explains:

Under the terms of the order, any prosecutor or police officer in all 27 members of the EU could be given the power to issue demands for evidence, regardless of the cost involved.

Judges in this country would be powerless to block the requests, even if they related to offences that are considered trivial in this country.

Overstretched police resources could then be expended on demands to launch lengthy surveillance operations, take DNA samples or secure documents such as bank statements or phone records.

There also appear to be very few conditions to refuse an EIO, as the Directive effectively scraps the main grounds that have been available to refuse a request for mutual assistance or the execution of a European evidence warrant.

There are any number of concerns that arise from the EIO. From wasting police time to British police being compelled to take biometric data or place people under surveillance on the urging of countries for whom the rule of law is a relatively recent innovation.

The article ends with a meaningless quote from an unnamed Home Office official, which suggests that the Government may not be giving this looming deadline the proper consideration.

By Dylan Sharpe

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Big Brother Watch Posted in Europe
  • http://mikecunningham.wordpress.com/ Mike Cunningham

    The following clause, as copied directly from the relevant e.u. document, namely http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2010:165:0022:0039:EN:PDF , pretty much states that the United Kingdom has already agreed to this Order, and there ain’t no going back!
    [In accordance with Article 3 of Protocol No 21 on the Position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of Freedom, Security and Justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the United Kingdom and Ireland have notified their wish to take part in the adoption of this Directive.]
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  • Jenn

    This has incredibly dangerous implications when you think about it.
    I would like to ask a question that I cannot understand, not being politically trained, and would really appreciate an answer by ALEX DEANE (or similarly politically well-informed person), and it’s this:
    In my understanding, the fact that Uk is part of EU is illegal from beginning to end, starting with the fact that the Queen has committed treason as she is forbidden to hand over government of UK to ‘ANY FOREIGN POWER’ so that is a truly MASSIVE reason to end it now. There are many other ‘irregularities’ and ‘breaking’s of the law’ by recent and not so recent governments of UK, which I am sure most people will be aware of. So, considering that most of Uk population do NOT want to be part of EU, WHY ARE WE STILL GOING AHEAD WITH IT?
    I would really appreciate a reply on this by Alex Deane. Many thanks for your time.

  • http://www.nikeairjordan.cc/jordan-hydro-57/ Jordan Hydro

    Adoption of orphans from the earthquake was the “hot” to the present “cold”, the result of some unfortunate indeed.