As privacy advocates feared, new European Union (EU) Presidency i...

directive on privacy in electronic communications. He and other MEPs opposed language -- approved May 30 by Parliament -- giving member states right to authorize retention of Internet and telecom data for law enforcement purposes. At time, Cappato said Wed., key EP parties supporting data retention provision insisted it posed no threat to individual privacy. However, he said, only few days later Spain adopted new data retention rules and British govt. unveiled proposal to permit data retention without court order. “The EU Danish Presidency is now moving in the same direction,” Cappato said. In late June, incoming Presidency sent to Council of Ministers Multidisciplinary Group on Organised Crime draft conclusions on information technology-related measures concerning investigation and prosecution of organized crime. In his note, Presidency urged that “within the very near future, binding rules should be established on the approximation of Member States’ rules on the obligation of telecommunications services providers to keep information concerning telecommunications in order to ensure that such information is available when it is of significant for a criminal investigation.” And while Presidency also recommended that EU countries balance law enforcement needs against citizens’ “lawful interest in keeping their communications private,” memo fails to mention either principles of proportionality or any requirement that such retention be allowed on case-by-case basis by judicial authorities, Cappato said. Multidisciplinary group meets Sept. 16 to finalize Council conclusions, Cappato said: “It would now be interesting to see the reaction from our colleagues that accused us of alarmistic behaviour during the EP debate.”