Surveillance by Intelligence Services: Services: Intelligence by Surveillance
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FREEDOMS FRA Surveillance by intelligence services – Volume II: field perspectives and legal update II: field perspectives – Volume services intelligence by Surveillance Surveillance by intelligence services: fundamental rights safeguards and remedies in the EU Volume II: field perspectives and legal update This report addresses matters related to the respect for private and family life (Article 7), the protection of personal data (Article 8) and the right to an effective remedy and a fair trial (Article 47) falling under Titles II ‘Freedoms’ and VI ‘Justice’ of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you). Photo (cover & inside): © Shutterstock More information on the European Union is available on the internet (http://europa.eu). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2017 FRA – print: ISBN 978-92-9491-766-9 doi:10.2811/15232 TK-04-17-696-EN-C FRA – web: ISBN 978-92-9491-765-2 doi:10.2811/792946 TK-04-17-696-EN-N © European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2017 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights copyright, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders. Printed by Imprimerie Centrale in Luxembourg Neither the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights nor any person acting on behalf of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights is responsible for the use that might be made of the following information. Printed on process chlorine-free recycled paper (PCF) Surveillance by intelligence services: fundamental rights safeguards and remedies in the EU Volume II: field perspectives and legal update Foreword Intelligence services perform vital work, and the growing threats of terrorism, cyber-attacks and sophisticated criminal networks have rendered more urgent their efforts to protect our security. Technological advancements have also made their work more complex, and the transnational nature of today’s threats has made it ever more challenging. But intelligence work to counter these threats, particularly large-scale surveillance, can also interfere with fundamental rights, especially privacy and data protection. As this report underscores, effective oversight and remedies can help minimise the risk of such interference. The report is the second publication addressing a European Parliament request for in-depth research on the impact of surveillance on fundamental rights. It updates FRA’s 2015 legal analysis on the topic and supplements that analysis with field-based insights gained from extensive interviews with diverse experts in intelligence and related fields, including its oversight. With technological advances constantly introducing both new threats and new ways to fight those threats, legislators have been kept busy. Many of the legislative changes enacted since 2015 have increased transparency. But legal frameworks remain diverse and, according to some interviewees, too complex and imprecise. Moreover, while safeguards have in some cases been strengthened, room for improvement remains – particularly in the context of international intelligence cooperation. Similarly, remedies are available where individuals’ rights have been infringed, but remain inherently limited. Clarifying the applicable legal requirements, introducing solid safeguards and giving teeth to remedies would all help ensure that intelligence work is conducted in a rights-compliant manner. This, in turn, would reinforce the credibility of the information obtained by intelligence services – bolstering trust amongst the public, encouraging effective cooperation, and – ultimately – strengthening national security. We are extremely grateful to the key partners and individual experts who took the time to participate in our interviews, providing invaluable real-life perspectives on the continuing effort to protect fundamental rights and national security. Michael O’Flaherty Director 3 Country codes Country code Country AT Austria BE Belgium BG Bulgaria CY Cyprus CZ Czech Republic DE Germany DK Denmark EE Estonia EL Greece ES Spain FI Finland FR France HR Croatia HU Hungary IE Ireland IT Italy LT Lithuania LU Luxembourg LV Latvia MT Malta NL Netherlands PL Poland PT Portugal RO Romania SE Sweden SK Slovakia SI Slovenia UK United Kingdom 4 Acronyms and abbreviations Acronym/ Name English translation abbreviation General Intelligence and Security Service AIVD Algemene Inlichtingen en Veiligheidsdienst (the Netherlands) BND Bundesnachrichtendienst Federal Intelligence Service (Germany) BNDG Bundesnachrichtendienst Gesetz Law on the Federal Intelligence Service (Germany) CIVD German Federal Intelligence Service CJEU Court of Justice of the European Union Commission nationale de contrôle des services de National Commission of Control of the CNCTR renseignement Intelligence Techniques (France) Commission nationale de l’informatique et des CNIL French Data Protection Authority libertés Parliamentary Committee for the Intelligence Comitato parlamentare per la sicurezza della COPASIR and Security Services and for State Secret Repubblica Control (Italy) De Commissie van Toezicht op de Inlichtingen- en Oversight Committee for the Intelligence and CTIVD Veiligheidsdiensten Security Services (the Netherlands) DGSE Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure General Directorate for External Security (France) DPA Data Protection Authority ECHR European Convention on Human Rights ECtHR European Court of Human Rights FDN French Data Network GCHQ Government Communications Headquarters GDPR General Data Protection Regulation General Intelligence and Security Service GISS (Belgium) Interception of Communications Commissioners IOCCO Office IPA Investigatory Powers Act IPC Investigatory Powers Commissioner IPT Investigatory Powers Tribunal ISC Internet Systems Consortium NCND Neither confirm nor deny OCAM Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis PKGr Parlamentarisches Kontrollgremium Parliamentary Control Panel (Germany) PKGrG Parlamentarisches Kontrollgremium Gesetz Parliamentary Control Panel Act (Germany) PNR Passenger Name Records Priority preliminary ruling on the issue of QPC Question prioritaire de constitutionnalité constitutionality (France) RIPA Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 SIGINT Signals Intelligence SIN Commission on Security and Integrity Protection SIS Secret Intelligence Service Statens Inspektion för The State Inspection for Defence Intelligence SIUN försvarsunderrättelseverksamheten Operations (Sweden) SSEUR Signals Intelligence Seniors Europe TET Tilsynet med Efterretningstjenesterne Danish Intelligence Oversight Board 5 Contents FOREWORD ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 9 FRA OPINIONS ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 11 INTRODUCTION ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17 PART I: THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR INTELLIGENCE ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 25 1 Intelligence services in the EU-28: a diverse landscape ..................................................................................... 27 2 Surveillance measures in the digital age .............................................................................................................. 29 3 Interference with the right to respect for private life ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 33 4 Surveillance “in accordance with the law” ............................................................................................................ 37 5 Legality in case of international intelligence cooperation ................................................................................. 49 6 Surveillance for a legitimate aim: need for ‘national security’ definition(s) ................................................... 53 PART II: ACCOUNTABILITY ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 55 7 An imperative: control from within ....................................................................................................................... 59 8 Oversight framework of intelligence services ...................................................................................................... 63 9 Features of oversight bodies ................................................................................................................................... 73 10 Stages of intelligence service oversight ............................................................................................................... 93 11 Oversight of international intelligence