Paris, 29 October 2015 — French socialists have, once again, betrayed liberties to strenghen surveillance! Claude Moraes’ report has been adopted today by the European Parliament. This report was condemning mass surveillance and calling for an investigation of French surveillance laws. But thanks to the pressure exerted by French Socialist MEPs on their party, any mention of investigation into French laws has been erased.



3. Is concerned at some of the recent laws in some Member States that extend surveillance capabilities of intelligence bodies, including, in France, the new intelligence law adopted by the National Assembly on 24 June 2015, several provisions of which, according to the Commission, raise important legal questions, in the UK, the adoption of the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014 and the subsequent court decision that certain articles were unlawful and to be disapplied, and, in the Netherlands, the proposals for new legislation to update the Intelligence and Security Act of 2002; reiterates its call on all Member States to ensure that their current and future legislative frameworks and oversight mechanisms governing the activities of intelligence agencies are in line with the standards of the European Convention on Human Rights and all relevant Union legislation; asks the Commission to launch without delay an assessment of all provisions of the French intelligence law and to determine its compliance with European primary and secondary law;

The end of article 3 was subject to shadowy manoeuvres by French Socialist MEPs who succeeded in erasing all mention of calls for an assessment by the European Commission.

As if these MEPs were afraid that the European Commission could find anything to say on French surveillance laws and their compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union as well as the European treaties? What do they have to fear and hide, and Manuel Valls’ Government behind them? Why do they seek to impede investigations if these laws are as irreproachable as they have been claiming it for more than a year?

Socialists, not content with this result, have also managed to avoid any reference to the International Surveillance bill, by rejecting amendment 2 proposed by liberals. This amendment expressed concern regarding mass surveillance set up by France in Europe and in the world.

La Quadrature du Net, outraged by these low and obnoxious political manoeuvres, asks the European Commission to look into such questions on its own initiative in order to, at last, verify the conformity of French surveillance laws to European Law. La Quadrature du Net calls on Europeans to use this text to ask their national deputies and MEPs to put an end to this race towards mass surveillance.

Analysis of the report that will be updated with the name of the MEPs who have voted for surveillance: https://wiki.laquadrature.net/PJL_relatif_au_renseignement/Rapport_Moraes/en