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REPORT INTO ALLEGATIONS OF ORGAN HARVESTING OF FALUN GONG PRACTITIONERS IN CHINA

1. EU: Borderline: The EU's New Border Surveillance Initiatives: Assessing the Costs and Fundamental Rights Implications of EUROSUR and the "Smart Borders" Proposals: A study by the Heinrich Böll Foundation. Written by Ben Hayes and Mathias Vermeulen:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/borderline.pdf

"Unable to tackle the root of the problem, the member states are upgrading the Union’s external borders. Such a highly parochial approach taken to a massive scale threatens some of the EU’s fundamental values - under the pretence that one’s own interests are at stake. Such an approach borders on the inhumane."

2. EU: Statewatch Analysis: “We are not animals”: Concern intensifies over detention of migrants in Europe by Marie Martin:
http://www.statewatch.org/analyses/no-182-eu-detention-centres.pdf

"Recent reports on very poor detention conditions of migrants in some EU countries present a concerning picture of current detention standards and practices. They emphasise systemic issues at stake with the implementation of the Returns Directive now transposed in all EU national legislations and further question the compatibility of administrative detention with the respect of fundamental rights."

3. UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants concludes second country visit in his regional study on the human rights of migrants at the borders of the European Union: Visit to Turkey:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/un-eu-turkey.pdf

4. UN Human Rights Council: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, François Crépeau:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/un-hrc-right-of-migrants.pdf

5. Germany: Plan to export hundreds of tanks to Saudi Arabia sparks fierce opposition:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/03germany-saudi-arabia.htm

"Campaigners, activists and politicians in Germany have denounced the proposed sale to Saudi Arabia of hundreds of tanks designed for "urban warfare", with the deal described as "scandalous" and "against democracy and human rights".

6. UK/Northern Ireland: Police use of plastic bullets would be "a recipe for disaster":
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/04ni-plastic-bullets.htm

7. EU: Council of the European Union: Turkey, Migration, UN peacekeeping, Sanctions

- TURKEY: Council Conclusions on developing cooperation with Turkey in the areas of Justice and Home Affairs:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-council-jha-turkey-11748-12.pdf

- TURKEY READMISSION: Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and Republic of Turkey on the readmission of persons residing without authorisation: COMMON GUIDELINES:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-council-turkey-readmission-11744-12.pdf

- Note from Spanish delegation: To: JHA Counsellors/COSI Support Group on combatting irregular migration and trafficking: Final report of COSI project group on "Measure 16" (Doc no: 9338-rev1-12, 16 pages) Detailed report on operations:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-council-cosi-measure-16-traffickingI-9336-rev1-12.pdf

- European External Action Service: To: Political and Security Committee: Plan of Action to enhance EU CSDP support to UN peacekeeping:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-eeas-csdp-un-peacekeeping-11216-12.pdf

- General Secretariat of the Council: Guidelines on implementation and evaluation of restrictive measures (sanctions) in the framework of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-council-un-sanctions-guidelines-11205-12.pdf

8. UK: Home Affairs Select Committee report: Private Investigators (130 pages):
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/uk-hasc-private-investigators-report.pdf

9. UK: The Terrorism Acts in 2011: Report of the Independent Reviewer on the operation of the Terrorism Act 2000 and Part 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006 by David Anderson QC (143 pages): http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/uk-ind-rev-terr-act.pdf

10. MALTA: Bishops say migrant's killing raises serious questions - suggest review of detention policy (Times of Malta, links):
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120705/local/bishops-says-migrant-s-killing-raises-serious-questions.427282

Magistrate quizzed over delayed migrant death inquiry and One man, many names:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120705/local/Delayed-migrant-death-inquiry-is-quizzed.427183

11.  EU: European Court of Justice:Advocate General Opinion finds for the Commission: European Commission v Republic of Austria:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/ecj-ag-dp-austria.pdf

"Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations – Protection of natural persons with regard of the processing of personal data – Duties of national supervisory authorities responsible for supervising the processing of personal data to be carried out with complete independence – Close personal and organisational connections between the supervisory authority and the Federal Chancellery"

12. EU-USA: TFTP: Questions to the Commission from ALDE group MEPs: The implementation of the EU-US TFTP Agreement:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/ep-alde-questions-com-usa-tftp.pdf

13. EU: Commission failing to follow the rules on the operation of EURODAC
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/02eurodac.htm

14. Council of Europe: Parliamentary Assembly: Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons: Roma migrants in Europe:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/coe-parl-ass-roma-report.pdf

"The perception of Roma is guided by myths and misconceptions. Being a Roma and being a migrant commonly means for the wider public being a nomad and an irregular migrant. This is how Roma migrants are perceived.

15. EU: ACTA REJECTED BY EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: European Parliament rejects ACTA (Press releas):
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/ep-acta-vote.pdf

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), was rejected by the European Parliament on Wednesday, and hence cannot become law in the EU. This was the first time that Parliament exercised its Lisbon Treaty power to reject an international trade agreement. 478 MEPs voted against ACTA, 39 in favour, and 165 abstained.

16. Boats 4 People: solidarity flotilla in the Mediterranean
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/01boats4people.htm

17. EU: UNITED: List of 16,264 documented refugee deaths through Fortress Europe (link)
http://www.unitedagainstracism.org/pdfs/listofdeaths.pdf

18. EU: Council of the European Union:

- "MIGRATORY PRESSURES": CARROT & STICK: Working Party on Integration, Migration and Expulsion/Mixed Committee (EU-Iceland/Norway/Switzerland/Liechtenstein): Preliminary synthesis on Member States’ responses to a questionnaire following up on “EU Action on Migratory Pressures – A Strategic Response” regarding readmission and return (Doc no: 11317-12, 31 pages):
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-council-migratory-pressure-ms-replies-11317-12.pdf

Contains synthesis of a total of 5 delegations' detailed responses who have so far replied to the questionnaire (Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Netherlands and Poland) in answer to the following questions: "to identify and prioritize the three third countries, with which concluding an EU readmission agreement would be of interest, focusing on countries of origin of illegal migration" and "to indicate the main tailor-made incentives that may be offered in order to ensure the proper level of cooperation" and "to identify the main challenges regarding voluntary and/or forced returns to those three third countries previously identified"
The targeted countries are: Afghanistan, India, Iraq and Tunisia.

-"MIGRATORY PRESSURE": Policy cycle: Links between the EU Action on Migratory Pressures and several EU Crime Priorities in the framework of the EU Policy Cycle (Doc no: 11568-12): http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-council-mig-pressure-policy-cycle-11568-12.pdf

- "MIGRATORY PRESSURE": EU Action on Migratory Pressures - A Strategic Response (Doc no: 9650-12)
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-council-migration-pressure-op-9650-12.pdf

19. EU: Council of the European Union: PRUM, Internal security and the RABAT process

- PRUM: 2011 report: Working Group on Information Exchange and Data Protection (DAPIX): Council Decision 2008/615/JHA of 23 June 2008 on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border-crime, Council Decision 2008/616/JHA of 23 June 2008 on the implementation of Council Decision 2008/615/JHA of 23 June 2008 on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border-crime ("Prüm Decisions") - statistics and reports on automated data exchange for 2011 (Doc no: 1367-12):
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-council-prum-stats-2011-11367-12.pdf

- Internal security: Standing Committee on operational co-operation on internal security (COSI): Initial discussion on: Internal Security Strategy - Second implementation report (Commission): http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-council-cosi-internal-security-strategy-report-11505-12.pdf

- RABAT: High-Level Working Group on Asylum and Migration: The Rabat process: the road ahead 2012-2014:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-council-rabat-roadmap-migration-11387-12.pdf

"The Euro-African Process on Migration and Development (Rabat Process) brings together more than fifty countries of origin, transit and destination, which have a shared vision of a rational, balanced and efficient management of migration flows from and via West and Central Africa."

20. EU: Council of the European Union: "Illegals" roadmap, Trafficking and Western Balkans: "Drivers", "Co-drivers" and "Guardian angels": EU Action Plan on migratory
Pressures: Strategic response: State of play on follow up (Doc no: 12024-12):
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/eu-council-illegals-roadmap-12024-12.pdf

21. UN: Human Rights Council: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/un-hrc-freedom-of-assembly.pdf

22. UN: Human Rights Council: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jul/un-opinion-and-exporession.pdf

23. Italy/Hungary: Court annuls Afghan's Dublin II return to Hungary
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/18italy-hungary-dublin.htm

On 27 April 2012, the Lazio Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale (TAR, Regional Administrative Court) upheld an appeal (no. 05292/2012) by an Afghan citizen against his return to Hungary in application of the Dublin II Regulation (decision deposited on 15 June 2012).

24. ECJ: JUDGMENT ON MERGERS AND ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS: The Court defines the scope of the right of access to documents of the EU institutions in the context of merger control proceedings (Press release): "The Commission may, subject to certain conditions, refuse access to documents relating to merger control proceedings without first carrying out a concrete, individual examination of those documents":
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/echj-access-mergers-prel.pdf

Full-text of judgment: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/echj-access-mergers-judgment-jacob.pdf

25 TURKEY: International delegation to attend trial of Ayse Berktay (Hacimirzaoglu) in Turkey:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/turkey-delegation.pdf

26. EU: Cyprus Council Presidency: Informal Justice and Home Affairs Council, Nicosia, 23-24 July 2012: Agenda (pdf)
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-jha-informal-jul-agenda.pdf

27. FRONTEX-EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN: Letter from Director of Frontex: Subject: Ombudsman Own Initiative Enquiry:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-frontex-ombudsman-letter.pdf

and Answers: Annexes: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-frontex-ombudsman-annexes.pdf

28. EU: REGULATION ON ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS: Final "State of play" from Danish Council Presidency: Recast of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/eu-council-access-reg-final-10698-12.pdf

Explains the Presidency perspective on the failed attempt to amend Regulation 1049. It presented an "adjusted" draft Council position but the "WPI [Working Party on Information] did however not share this assessment" "Some delegations" wanted to abandon the process, and "others" wanted a "limited package" covering the Arhus Convention, data protection, information officers and "improving" access to legislative documents "based on the Commission 2008 proposal.

The EU institutions are left with the dilemma of implementing the Commission's 2011 proposal to "Lisbonise" the Regulation by formally extending the scope of the Regulation to cover EU agencies and bodies but even this is contentious,

See Statewatch Analyses: Proposed Commission changes to Regulation on access to documents fail to meet Lisbon Treaty commitments: 
http://www.statewatch.org/analyses/no-130-access-docs-com-new.pdf

and Secret trilogues and the democratic deficit:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2007/sep/ep-co-decision-secret-trilogues.pdf

See: Statewatch's Observatory: Regulation on access to EU documents: 2008-ongoing
http://www.statewatch.org/foi/observatory-access-reg-2008-2009.htm

29.SWEDEN: Sweden's national counter-terrorism strategy:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/jun/sweden-counterterrorism-strategy.pdf

30. EU-UK: UK opts-out of Proceeds of Crime Directive: see: Hansard (link): "That this House takes note of European Union Document No. 7641/12 and Addenda 1 and 2, a draft Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the freezing and confiscation of proceeds of crime in the European Union; and supports the Government’s intention to not opt-in under Protocol (No. 21) to the European Union Treaties at this stage."
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm120612/debtext/120612-0003.htm

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