The European Commission has table a number of Commission-led initiatives in areas critical for defence and security within the European Union. These comprise a Contribution to European defence, covering the full range of challenges, from the conventional defence industry and equipment on land, sea and air, to cyber, hybrid and space threats, military mobility and the relevance […]
Action Plan on Synergies between civil, defence and space industries to further enhance Europe’s technological edge
Today, the Commission presents an Action Plan on Synergies between civil, defence and space industries to further enhance Europe’s technological edge and support its industrial base. The Action Plan is devised against the background that, for the first time, EU funding presents opportunities to reinforce European innovation by exploring and exploiting the disruptive potential of […]
Snowden Gets European Parliament Audience – Live And Interactive
The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties committee has agreed that NSA fugitive Edward Snowden can give evidence to an inquiry into the allegations he has made – but only if he appears in a live and interactive session. European Conservatives and Reformists Group spokesman on the inquiry, Timothy Kirkhope MEP, continues to oppose any platform being […]
EU Cyber War Capabilities, Ashton Must Clarify Says Schaake
Dutch Member of European Parliament Marietje Schaake (ALDE/D66) has called on EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, to provide clarification on the European Union’s developing offensive capabilities in cyber defence. “It looks like Ashton is aiming for European offensive capabilities to counter threats against critical European ICT infrastructure.” “While cooperation in conventional defence is lagging […]
She’s ‘Big In Japan’. Catherine Ashton Secures The East
She’s ‘Big In Japan’. Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy met today with Japanese Foreign Minister, Fumio Kishida and Defence Minister, Itsunori Onodera. Ashton said they took stock of “…our bilateral relations and discussed our common objectives for the forthcoming EU-Japan Summit. We also discussed global and regional issues […]
EU Supports Ukrainian OSCE Progess, says Lithuanian Foreign Minister
The European Union welcomes, “the balanced and pragmatic approach” by Ukraine chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and it fully supports Kiev’s preparations for the upcoming OSCE meeting, said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius. Linkevičius represented the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in the EU-OSCE meeting in Luxembourg on […]
Civil Liberties MEPs Prepare Stronger Data Protection For EU
A major overhaul of current EU data protection rules, to put people in control of their personal data while at the same time making it easier for companies to move across Europe, was voted by the Civil Liberties Committee on Monday. Responding to mass surveillance cases, MEPs inserted stronger safeguards for data transfers to non-EU […]
Anti-Terror Political Oversight & Transparency Essential
“If we accept the principle that the mere request for secrecy by a third country to classify a document means it is secret, it is denying access to citizens, but also to MEPs, that is ridiculous. There is no political oversight. America would not tolerate that,” said Dutch Liberal MEP, Sophie In’t Veld, ALDE, Vice […]