euro|topics - Reiner Metzger

21/11/2008

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Metzger, Reiner

2 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.

die tageszeitung - Germany | 16/07/2008

Transatlantic data exchange

The US and the EU are currently drawing up a data protection agreement that would legitimise the exchange of intimate personal information. The left-wing daily die tageszeitung writes that the planned agreement would be a "disaster in terms of data protection law". "The EU body of regulations ... contains a passage that allows the passing on of details on ethnic background, trade union membership, sex life and political convictions. Sadly, this is no joke. ... Advocates point out that since the attacks of September 11 the EU has been exchanging data with the US anyway - but without any regulations governing this exchange. This is an absurd argument. It is time to end this intolerable situation for in the fight on terror the US has long since transgressed the limits of what can be considered tolerable under the rule of law."

die tageszeitung - Germany | 07/11/2006

Corruption in Europe

Germany ranked number 16 in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Reiner Metzger points out that although this is not a bad performance, it shouldn't "lead those of us who live in rich countries to think that corruption is not a problem for us too. The experts have made it clear that the richer countries also play a role in the global system of corruption." Metzger complains that corruption is not taken seriously enough: "In Germany, for example, there are not enough public prosecutors, and in certain areas corruption is institutionally encouraged – for example in the healthcare system, where doctors themselves decide how much money they receive from patients. The legal apparatus is also inadequate: there are still no comprehensive regulations for chief witnesses and whistleblowers in cases of corruption within companies... Moreover, neither the government nor the parliament has signed the United Nations Convention against Corruption because this would entail redefining the legal framework for the prosecution of bribery and corruptibility of members of parliament."

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