CIA extraordinary rendition: European agencies must release flight data and satellite images

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 18th Jan 2006

Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford, who expects to be a leading member of the European Parliament temporary committee on 'extraordinary rendition' of which the mandate was approved today, is urging European Union institutions to ensure that air traffic and satellite records are made available to parliamentary investigations into CIA activities in Europe.

Sarah Ludford has insisted to EU justice Commissioner Franco Frattini that he must fulfil the pledge he gave MEPs in December that the Commission would assist in supplying to investigators the records of Eurocontrol and the European Satellite Agency, which both have the European Community as a member and the Commission a board member. Council of Europe investigator Dick Marty has complained (interview with Swiss paper Blick, 9.1.06) that he has not received them "which is a response too."

Sarah Ludford said

"Vice-President Frattini has told me that before Christmas he requested his colleagues Commissioners Barrot and Ferrero-Waldner to assist. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana seems to be a key person also in the release of ESA images. but we are still waiting. The Commission and Council's credibility are not enhanced by the failure to deliver on this promise."

Note:

Sarah Ludford sent the following question to the European Commission on January 10th:

During the debate on "Presumed use of European countries by the CIA for the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners" which took place during the last European Parliament's plenary session of 14 December 2005, Commissioner Frattini expressed his willingness to cooperate closely with the Council of Europe on the matter and stated in particular that he had asked through Commissioners Barrot and Ferrero-Waldner that the data from Eurocontrol regarding flight plans through European territory and all possible useful information collected by the European Union Satellite Centre be made available to the Council of Europe.

On 9th January 2006, Swiss newspaper 'Der Blick' published an interview with Dick Marty, rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, on the subject of the fax from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry apparently confirming the presence of secret CIA jails in Romania and Bulgaria. When asked if he had received the requested Eurocontrol flight data on CIA jets and satellite pictures of possible prisons locations, Dick Marty replied: "No, not yet. But in my view, if we do not receive this information, this is a response too."

What is the Commission's reaction to this statement? What has the Commission done so far to support the Council of Europe's work and ensure in particular that the requested data will be transmitted to them by Eurocontrol and the European Satellite Centre?