Although presented as an anti-terrorist measure and part of the USA "Homeland Security" programme, the screening and searching of containers can be expected to expand from arms and weapons of mass destruction to drugs and tobacco as well (as an unreleased E.U. document on a "Study on container controls in the ports of the EU" indicates, doc no 11010/00, 5.9.2000).
Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, comments:
"No details of the agreements have been made public let alone debated by national and European parliaments. What powers will these U.S. Customs agents have? Will their powers be limited to terrorism or extend to crime in general? Will they be subject to national laws and the ECHR? Will they be liable for damage or false arrests?
“Like over the International Criminal Court, the USA has ignored E.U. institutions and picked off the Member States one by one. This is yet another example of democracy and accountability being by-passed in the name of the so-called war on terrorism"
Statewatch
in our Links section and/or:
http://www.statewatch.org
Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, comments:
"No details of the agreements have been made public let alone debated by national and European parliaments. What powers will these U.S. Customs agents have? Will their powers be limited to terrorism or extend to crime in general? Will they be subject to national laws and the ECHR? Will they be liable for damage or false arrests?
“Like over the International Criminal Court, the USA has ignored E.U. institutions and picked off the Member States one by one. This is yet another example of democracy and accountability being by-passed in the name of the so-called war on terrorism"
Statewatch
in our Links section and/or:
http://www.statewatch.org