Satellite TV and mobile phone equipment
The European Parliament rejected a plan to retain data on the traffic of calls, short message services and e-mails processed by telecommunication providers to investigate and prosecute terrorists. MEPs feel the proposal from the UK, France, Ireland and Sweden to keep data about who is contacting whom and from where, for up to 3 years, is a threat to the privacy of citizens.
MEPs want the rules to be proportional to any threat and for the Parliament to have an equal say with national government in this area.
MEPs welcomed instead an alternative proposal on data retention launched by the Commission last week, in which the Parliament will have codecision power to ensure that MEPs' demands are respected.
