15-12-2022 09:00
PEGA: "Spyware used in third countries and implications for EU foreign relations"
This PEGA hearing, organized on 15 December in association with AFET Committee, looked whether the use of the Pegasus or equivalent surveillance spyware, directly or indirectly involving entities linked to the EU, contributed to illegal spying on journalists, politicians, diplomats, lawyers, business people, civil society actors in third countries and whether it led to human rights violations that are of serious concern as regards the objectives of the EU’s common foreign and security policy.
Programme of the hearings
09.00 Opening remarks by the Chair of the Committee
09.05 - 09.35 Panel 1:
· Mr Omer Benjakob, Cyber & Disinformation Reporter for Haaretz
· Ms Ilia Siatitsa, Programme Director and Senior Legal Officer, Privacy International
· Mr Guilhem Giraud, Expert, surveillance technologies
09.35 - 10.40 Discussion: Q&A session based on the principles of catch-the-eye and ping-pong
10.40 - 11.00 Panel 2:
· Mr Pedro Vaca Villareal, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)
· Ms Marta Hirsch-Ziembinska, Principal Adviser on the Charter of Fundamental Rights, European Ombudsman
11.00 - 11.50 Discussion: Q&A session based on the principles of catch-the-eye and ping-pong
11:50 Closing remarks by the Chair of the Committee