The
on-going row over the US espionage practices should become an opportunity to
discuss intelligence cooperation between the two sides of the Atlantic. It
should also be used by the Europeans to better define the potential threats to
their national and economic security and take the appropriate protective
measures.
As
I say it, I also recognise that intelligence remains one of the key features of
a country´s sovereignty. But this should not prevent the EU countries from
integrating better those dimensions of the services that have to do with
responding to common threats. And, at the same time, they should protect
themselves from intrusion, including when that spying comes from a friendly
ally.
It
is also time to have a code of conduct and a list of best practices that would
guide information collection in a democratic environment. And get national
parliaments to appoint independent ethics commissions that would be charged
with the overseeing of intelligence activities in their respective countries. These
commissions would then be guided by the above-mentioned code of conduct.
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