Privatezza

Għadha ma daħlitx fis-seħħ miżura ta’ sigurtà li biha, għal xi żmien, il-forzi tas-sigurtà Ewropej iżommu informazzjoni sħiħa dwar it-traġitti bl-ajruplan li jagħmlu l-passiġġieri kollha li jtiru fl-Ewropa. Din l-informazzjoni titqies bħala utli ħafna biex jiġu sorveljati u kontrollati ċaqliq suspettuż ta’ nies li jkunu qed iħejju attentati terroristiċi.

Hu minnu li din l-informazzjoni tista’ tiġi abbużata għad-dannu tal-privatezza taċ-ċittadini. Abbużi hekk diġà saru fl-imgħoddi. Fil-fatt minħabba f’hekk, maġġoranza ta’ deputati fil-Parlament Ewropew qed torbot l-approvazzjoni tal-miżura tas-sigurtà mal-approvazzjoni ta’ direttiva oħra li tagħti protezzjoni akbar għall-privatezza taċ-ċittadini. Madankollu t-test tad-direttiva favur il-privatezza għadu mhux lest.

Naqbel li dawn iż-żewġ miżuri għandhom jidħlu fis-seħħ malajr kemm jista’ jkun, l-aħjar flimkien. Imma quddiem it-theddida terroristika u la t-test dwar il-privatezza waqa’ lura għal raġunijiet tekniċi, m’iniex konvint li d-deċiżjoni li nkomplu nipposponu s-seħħ tas-sorveljanza fuq iċ-ċaqliq tal-passiġġieri hi waħda għaqlija.

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Toni Abela

Il-kummentaturi Nazzjonalisti jistgħu jgħidu li jridu: saret ħidma minn taħt biex in-nomina ta’ Toni Abela għall-Qorti Ewropea tal-Awdituri tiġi avvelenata bl-allegazzjonijiet foloz li hu kien kompliċi f’xi ħidma biex tinħeba ħidma ta’ traffikar tad-droga. Dwar li l-allegazzjonijiet huma foloz, ħadd f’Malta m’għandu dubju.

Imma meta jiġu rxuxtati kif sar, fil-forum tal-Parlament Ewropew, ftit tista’ tlum lid-deputati Ewropej li jippruvaw jifhmu x’hemm warajhom. Il-problema hi li biex tfisser il-falsità tal-allegazzjonjiet, trid żmien u spjegi dwar ċirkostanzi f’Malta li huma mbiegħda mill-esperjenza tad-deputati Ewropej. Meta wieħed jiġi għas-smigħ tan-nomina tiegħu quddiem il-kumitat tal-Parlament, sakemm iwassal il-messaġġ tiegħu dwar il-verità tal-fatti, ikun qed jitlef mill-ħin li fih suppost qed ifisser kif biħsiebu jaqdi d-dmirijiet li ġie nominat għalihom.

Hemm bżonn ta’ proċedura differenti li tindirizza l-problema ta’ kif persuna nominata tista’ tiddefendi ruħha kontra l-akkużi li jsiru dwar l-integrità tagħha.

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L-Ewropa u t-Turkija

Aktar ma jgħaddi ż-żmien, aktar ir-relazzjonijiet bejn l-Ewropa u t-Turkija qed jieħdu xeħta skiżofrenika. Minn banda, jissemma kif it-tnejn iridu jikkollaboraw flimkien għax dan hu fl-interess tat-tnejn. Mill-oħra, mhumiex jonqsu l-kritika ta’ naħa lejn l-oħra – kontra l-linja awtoritarja tal-gvern Tork mill-Ewropej, kontra l-“ipokresija” tal-Ewropej, min-naħa tat-Torok, jew tal-anqas tal-President Erdogan.

Fejn se jasal dan kollu? Il-ftehim milħuq bejn iż-żewġ naħat dwar ir-refuġjati mis-Sirja, u punti oħra, se jiġi onorat? Jista’ jitwettaq?

Il-bażi għalih ma tantx tidher soda, aktar u aktar jekk l-affarijiet ikomplu jikkomplikaw ruħhom fit-Turkija minħabba attakki terroristiċi. Sa issa, fost effetti oħra, dawn servew biex il-gvern Tork jagħfas aktar fuq il-komunità Kurda.

English Version – Privacy

A security measure by which for some time, European security forces can store full information about the air travel of all passengers in Europe remains stalled. The data is considered extremely useful to monitor and control suspicious movements by persons planning terrorist attacks.

It is true that the data can be abused, with detriment to the privacy of citizens. This has already happened in the recent past. Indeed as a result, a majority of MEPs is linking the approval of the new security measure with the adoption of another directive that would strengthen the protection of citzens’ right to privacy. However the text of the directive relating to privacy remains pending.

I agree that both measures should come into force as soon as possible. Still, given the ongoing terrorist threat, and as the text protecting privacy has been delayed for technical reasons, I am unconvinced that the decision to continue to postpone the implementation of surveillance over passenger movements is well taken.

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Toni Abela

Nationalist opinion makers can say what they want: the truth is that underhand methods were used to ensure that the nomination of Toni Abela to the European Court of Auditors was poisoned by the false allegation that he was part of an effort to cover up drug trafficking. Nobody in Malta has any doubt that the allegation is false.

However when, as happened, it got resurrected in the EP forum, it is difficult to blame MEPs if they try to get to the bottom of the matter. The problem is that to explain how false the allegation is, one needs time in order to clarify circumstances in Malta that are far from the experience of European parliamentarians. At a hearing being conducted by a parliamentary committee to decide on a given nomination, the time that one needs to put across the facts at issue, are necessarily subtracted from time that is supposedly being allocated to explain how one proposes to carry out the duties for which one is being nominated.

We need a different procedure to address the problem of how a nominee can defend him/herself against accusations that are being made about his/her integrity.

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Europe and Turkey

With time, the relations between Europe and Turkey are taking an increasingly schizophrenic twist. On the one hand, we are told how the two sides need to collaborate because this is to their mutual interest. On the other hand, criticisms of one against the other can be heard – against the authoritarianism of the Turkish government from the European side, against European “hypocrisy” from the Turkish, or at least from President Erdogan.

Where will all this lead to? Will the agreement reached by the two sides about Syrian refugees plus other issues be observed? Can it be implemented?

The basis for the agreement seems rickety, especially if matters get more complicated in Turkey due to the terrorist attacks it is being subjected to. As of now, among other consequences, these have been instrumental in making the Turkish government harden its dealings with the Kurdish community.