Spy and surveillance mechanisms

Question for written answer  E-001910/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Kostas Papadakis (NI)

The ‘Intelligence College in Europe’ (ICE) is a transnational spy platform that has been in operation for a few months and counts more than 23 EU Member States among its members. The platform complements existing mechanisms engaged in State and EU espionage and the mass gathering of data.

The so-called ‘EU spy school’ has been in operation since 2013 and, in cooperation with NATO and the EU security and intelligence services, trains EU intelligence officials. At the request of the Syriza government, the school is located in Greece and is Greek-run.

Can the Commission say:

• 1.What is its view of the fact that the establishment of entities such as the ICE, among others, blatantly violates the rights of the peoples of Europe and is accompanied by repressive measures against the right to strike, the right to protest and the right of trade unions to take action, and that it suppresses and restricts basic democratic rights?
• 2.How does it view the right not to record, process and – by various means – file personal data and not violate the fundamental freedoms of EU citizens and various secret services and spy mechanisms operating within and outside the EU?
• 3.What is the link between these mechanisms and the new tools for tracing/monitoring and to record data being used in response to the pandemic?