As the inquiry into NSA spying operations continues, Parliament discusses better data protection at home.

Time to clean the EU's own house?

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16426480/n001-131107-001-en.srt

Edward Snowden lifted the lid  on Pandora’s box:

After the NSA was caught  with their hands in the cookie jar,

the UK has now found itself  thrust into the spotlight over allegations

that they’ve been operating  a now not so secret listening post

In Brussels MEPs say it’s time  for Europe to look at its own backyard.

We always felt  that our oversight arrangements

here in the EU needed to be looked at. 

we were always realistic  about the gaps in our own situation.

For MEPs national governments  have crossed red lines

in their pursuit of national security. 

I’m not surprised about intelligence services  spying or doing secret things,

but Im very surprised that governments  seem to think

that the other EU Member States or their  citizens are a threat to national security.

A vote has already taken place  at the Plenary

in favour of suspending  the SWIFT agreement with the US,

but at Thursday’s Civil Liberties inquiry

a suspension of the Passenger Name  Record or the free trade agreement

The debate focused more  on what Europe could do for itself

to safeguard the data of its citizens. 

Today we had think tanks and  academics speaking very frankly 

about whether there is any truth  to mass surveillance by the NSA,

and whether there has been any  partnership with EU governments. 

We’re looking at all sorts of other issues,

for example whether there is proper  overseing and accountability

of intelligence services  of individual EU countries.

And what about the man  behind the revelations – Edward Snowden?

Many of Edward Snowden’s secrets  have already been revealed,

but of course we’d like to get him  personally here to question him,

but at the moment this seems to be  a big problem 

because of the security questions and  legal questions concerning his status.

These need to be answered by the  governments of the EU Member States.