On 16 September 2008, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an opinion on a proposal for a Council Decision on the establishment of an electronic European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS). The Decision is part of a package designed to help EU Member States to share the criminal records of their citizens and exchange information on past criminal convictions.

Terrorists want to terrorize. They want those they despise to live in fear, to trade their liberties for security - even though, as Ben Franklin said, "those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither". It is an unpalatable fact but in the way that people are treated at airports, we are doing the terrorists' bidding for them. Lining up for an excessive period of time at Reagan Nationa...

Today's vote has set us on the right path to achieving a more coherent social security system, which will be of benefit to all EU citizens

Public parliamentary proceedings and records are important. At treaty level the European Parliament is given the duty to publish its proceedings officially. Internet publication and press services cater to immediate and practical needs. It is a huge task for the European Parliament to serve nearly 500 million EU residents and more than 700 MEPs (more or less equally) in 23 official languages. The ...

The European Court of Human Rights is undermining Britain's national security by giving terrorists grounds to remain in this country, senior Tory MPs have warned.

Sharing of bank records with the US started in 2001 in an effort to tackle terrorism. However, the European Parliament has rejected new proposed agreement after heated criticisms that too much private information could be handed over without good reason. The Register reported: The European Parliament has rejected a proposed interim agreement on SWIFT – under

So our esteemed leader has ordered an immediate review of airport security following on in the wake of the pants bomber. The result of this "review" will be yet more security checks, yet more inconvenience for all air travellers and yet more laws to eat away at our rapidly receding liberty. And for what? Because as sure as night follows day, whatever system you impose the terrorists will find a wa...

A new computerised medical records system is criticised by a leading NHS manager for causing "heartache and hard work".

This is an axample of the so called co-decision procedure, according to Article 251 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC), when the European Parliament has proposed amendments to the common position of the Council of the European Union. The EP amendments require an absolute majority of the component members (one of the reasons why the European Parliament needs to find consensus s...

Slowly the European area of freedom, security and justice is taking shape. Two important justice and home affairs (JHA) acts concerning criminal records in cross-border cases have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) 7.4.2009 L 93. Framework decision Council Framework Decision 2009/315/JHA of 26 February 2009 on the organisation and content of the exchange of informa...