Summary
Jan Marinus Wiersma & Kati Piri
'The system': democratische controle op de transatlantische strijd tegen het internationaal terrorisme
Jan Marinus Wiersma and Kati Piri discuss the EU-US cooperation in the fight against international terrorism and the lack of democratic oversight in this field. While the US detention policy in Guantanamo is heavily criticized by the EU, the media reported that European countries have co-operated with the CIA in the secret detention and 'extraordinary rendition' of terrorist suspects. These allegations led to the European Parliament setting up an investigation. Although EU governments showed a lack of cooperation, judicial and parliamentary inquiries in member states have come up with evidence of collaboration in individual cases. Based on confidential information provided to the EP, there are indications that the EU may have cooperated in the illegal renditions on a structural basis. To ensure that such breaches cannot take place in the future, control over European airspace and the democratic scrutiny over secret services need to be reinforced. On EU-level there is a lack of effective oversight of the agreements made in the transatlantic dialogue. Strengthening the EP's right of inquiry is therefore essential.