Von Montag bis Donnerstag (16. – 19. März 2015) war ich zusammen mit anderen Abgeordneten des Innenausschusses des Europäischen Parlaments in Washington D.C.. Dort haben wir mit Vertretern unterschiedlichster US-Institutionen (u.a. US-Kongress, US-Botschaft, Justiz- und Handelsministerium, Geschäftsstelle des US-Präsidenten) zahlreiche intensive Diskussionen über Grundrechte und Datenschutz in den EU-USA-Beziehungen (Safe Harbour, Massenüberwachung, Terrorismusbekämpfung, TTIP etc.) geführt.
Hier noch einmal das offizielle Programm (in Englisch):
Monday, 16 March 2015
– 17:30 – 18:30: Welcome Briefing by EU Ambassador to the U.S., David O’Sullivan, and by Antoine Ripoll, Director of the EP Liaison Office in the US
– 18:30 – 19:30: Briefing of the mission by Klaus Botzet, Head of the Political, Security and Development Section, José María Muriel, Counselor (Justice and Home Affairs), and Andrea Glorioso, Andrea Glorioso Counselor, Digital agenda and ICT
Tuesday, 17 March 2015
– 8:30 – 09:25: Department of Justice – Meeting with Bruce Swartz, Assistant Attorney General
– 9:45 –10:45: US Department of Commerce – Meeting with Justin Antonipillai, Deputy General Counsel (Topics: Safe Harbour – privacy initiatives on consumer bill of rights/big data)
– 11:15 – 12:30: Academic event (organised by Marc Rotenberg-EPIC)
– 13:00 – 14:00: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – Meeting with Edith Ramírez Chairwoman Commissioner, the Federal Trade Commission (Safe Harbour – Privacy initiatives (Big data/internet of things, Consumer bill of rights))
– 14:30 – 15:25: Meeting with Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)
– 15:45 – 16:30: Meeting with US Trade Representatives, Ambassador Holleyman (Discussion on TTIP and related trade agreements (Data flows))
– 16:45 – 17:30: Executive Office of the President – Meeting with David Edelman, Senior Advisor for Techonology & the Economic Policy, National Economic Council, the White House (Big data – Podesta report, Privacy initiatives by President Obama)
– 17:30 – 18:30 National Security Council (NSC) – Meeting with Amy Pope, Senior Director for Trans-border Security and Michael Daniel, Cyber Coordinator et al.
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
– 8:30 – 9:30: EPLO – Meeting with David Medine, Chairman of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
– 10:30 – 11:20: US Congress – Meeting with F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., (R-Wisconsin), Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary (closely involved in US Freedom Act and legal initiatives to grant redress to EU citizens in the framework of the EU-US umbrella agreement)
– 11:30 – 12:00: Meeting with Congressman Michael T. McCaul, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security
– 12:30 – 13:30: Meeting with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) Member of the Judiciary Committee of the Senate, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
– 13:00 – 13:30: Meeting with Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA), Chairman of the Intelligence Committee of the House of Representatives
– 14:00 – 15:00: Public event at the European Institute – Speakers: F. James Sensenbrenner, Jan Philippe Albrecht, Topic: „Data Privacy: Balancing Security & Civil Liberties”
– 15:30 – 16:25: Office of Director of National Intelligence Meeting with Robert S. Litt, General Counsel, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Follow up of US Intelligence reform and of discussions EU-US on „national security exception“ in Safe Harbour national (access to EU data in Safe Harbour by US intelligence agencies))
– 18:00 – 19:30: Reception hosted by the EU Ambassador to the Members of the European Parliament and US Lt. Governors
Thursday, 19 March 2015
– 8:30 – 10:15: DHS Visit to NTC facility (Reston) U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan
– 11:00 – 11:30: Department of the Treasury – Meeting with US Treasury (Mr John Smith, Acting Director of the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) and negotiator of the TFTP Agreement.
– 11:45 – 12:45: EU Members States Embassies – Meeting with EU Member States Political Counsellors
– 13:00 – 14:00: Press Conference of the Chair and Rapporteurs
– 14:00 Transfer to the airport