The two sides are said to have reached agreement on about a dozen areas, but a big sticking point remains legal redress for Europeans who feel they are being victimised by US possession of information that may be incorrect or used incorrectly.
If I were living in the EU I'd be very upset with this whole charade:
A comprehensive transatlantic pact clearing the way for the unprecedented supply of private data on European citizens to the American authorities is to be promoted by France in support of the US-driven campaign to combat terrorism and transnational crime.
The French government is expected to use its six-month presidency of the EU, starting tomorrow, to build on 18 months of confidential negotiations between Washington and Brussels aimed at clearing the complex legal obstacles to the exchange of personal information with the Americans.
The controversial proposed pact, a "framework agreement" on common data protection principles, is likely to enable the Americans to access the credit card histories, banking details and travel habits of Europeans, although senior officials in Brussels deny US reports that the Americans will also be able to snoop on the internet browsing records of Europeans.
I think Sarkozy is just a little to cozy with BushCo for his own good. The EU should be insisting on several key actions as acts of "good faith" before they even consider enacting this agreement:
1. Fair trials for anyone charged and held at Guantanamo Bay, and those who are not charged, must be released.
2. Open and transparent recourse for anyone who finds themselves on any of numerous US lists such as the "no-fly" lists that result from the government's "information gathering" efforts.
3. An immediate and permanent end to "extraordinary rendition" and other forms of questionable detainment.
If the United States cannot, or will not, enact such changes at home, I don't think any foreign power would be well served by signing up to hand over data on its citizens.
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