MEPs reflect on how environmental crimes can be punished and are happy with moves against tax havens. Personal data protection needs updates, says EU Supervisor.

Environment crime / Summit echoes / Data protection

Toxic mud floods killing rivers and forests,

poisonous clouds drifting across borders.

At a conference in the EP it was debated  how an end can be put

to the impunity that until now has been  the rule for perpetrators of such crimes.

The environment is being destroyed  worldwide, and there are no sanctions.

Perpetrators can escape because laws on  environmental crimes are underdeveloped.

Just as we have an International Court of  Justice for crimes against humanity,

we need an International Court of Justice  for crimes against the environment.

Herman Van Rompuy’s charm offensive  seems to have worked:

MEPs welcomed  the Council President’s initiative

to move against tax evasion and tax havens  inside and outside Europe.

Only by fighting tax evasion, tax havens  and changing the tax system

we will have enough room for manoeuvre  to build a European system

where exceptions and derogations are at  the service of the poorer regions of Europe

and not of the most competitive regions.

At a time when data processing  has become ubiquitous,

the EU’s rules on data protection,  from the mid-1990s,

Presenting his annual report to the EP,  the European Data Protection Supervisor

underlined the importance  of the new framework

currently under discussion  between EU institutions.

The decisions being taken now  will be determining our quality of life

Over 3,000 amendments have been tabled  on the data protection regulation.

It is set to be voted on in the Civil Liberties  Committee before the summer break.