In the light of its evaluation report on the Data Retention Directive (Directive 2006/24/EC), the Commission said on 18 April 2011 that it would propose a revision of the current data retention framework. In its Action Plan Implementing the Stockholm Programme, the Commission announced a revision proposal for 2012.

1. When will the Commission present its proposal?

2. Can the Commission please respond in detail to the concerns raised by 34 NGOs(1) and subsequently highlighted in a number of written questions from Green MEPs as regards:

– assessing whether the presence or absence of blanket data retention legislation in practice has a demonstrable, statistically significant impact on the prevalence or the investigation of serious crime in a given Member State, taking into account those Member States that have not implemented the Data Retention Directive;

– weighing up the human rights violations intrinsic to a blanket data retention system, such as data losses and misuse, mistakes in data retrieval, and breaches of the confidentiality of communications with health professionals, lawyers and journalists;

– considering repealing the directive if sufficient evidence for both its necessity and its proportionality in a democratic society is not forthcoming; or at least

– carefully considering alternatives to data retention, such as expedited data preservation and targeted collection of traffic data.

(1) http://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/sep/eu-mand-ret-ngo-letter-to-com.pdf