Saturday

10th Jun 2023

EU under scrutiny for bankrolling surveillance in Africa

  • Niamey, Niger. The EU's mission there was extended until 2024 (Photo: Jean Rebiffe)
Listen to article

A verdict is imminent on the EU Commission, for projects it financed to help dubious governments in Africa spy on their own people.

The money comes from the EU Trust Fund for Africa, part of which is being used to develop mass-scale biometric identity systems across the African continent.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"We're expecting to have an outcome soon," said Ioannis Kouvakas, a senior legal officer at the London-based Privacy International, an NGO, earlier this week.

Niger, for instance, received over €11m for surveillance drones and a wiretapping centre, among other equipment.

The underlying premise is to help national authorities crack down on migration and possible terror threats, either through helping them create tools such as data-retention laws or by bankrolling surveillance projects.

But fears are also mounting such governments may then use it against their political dissidents, human right defenders, and others.

The case was lodged in 2021 with the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, a watchdog that can fault the EU institutions for maladministration.

It seeks to determine whether the EU commission had carried out any studies into human rights implications prior to helping these states.

Kouvakas says they are confident the ombudsman "will embrace our concerns".

'Do no harm' principle

The EU has also brokered deals with the Libyan authorities, as part of a broader plan to prevent migrants and asylum seekers from leaving the country by boat towards Europe.

This includes some €42m for a border control project in 2019, aimed at preventing migrants from fleeing.

However, on Tuesday, the UN rights body said there is no meaningful access to human rights protection for migrants within Libya.

"Migrants are effectively trapped in Libya where they continue to face serious threats to their lives, safety and dignity," it said, in a report.

But for its part, the commission claims it adheres to a "do no harm" principle in Libya.

The commission says this was confirmed by an independent contractor, tasked to ensure its policies follow the principle.

"So far, the contractor didn't report any violations of do no harm principle directly related to all costs by our trust fund programmes," said the EU commission in April.

But when EUobserver in May asked for the name of the contractor and a copy of its report via an access to document request, the EU commission refused.

Maciej Popowski, a senior EU commission official, in a letter in July said that there was no overriding public interest.

An appeal has since been launched, but without any closure. And the legal deadline for the EU commission to respond to the appeal expired twice.

When asked to look into the delayed appeals, the commission did not respond.

Privacy International, along with a handful of other NGOs, appear to have run into similar difficulties in the lead up to their 2021 case against the commission.

Kouvakas says they too filed access to document requests, although some EU commission departments never responded.

Frontex and EEAS

They have also since filed two other complaints with the ombudsman, asking the same questions on human right impacts.

One targets the EU's diplomatic corps, the European External Action Service, and its missions in Palestine, Somalia, Niger, Mali, Libya, and Iraq.

And the second targets the EU's border police, Frontex and its cooperation with the Libyan coast guard.

O'Reilly opened both investigations on 5 October.

The complaints were filed by Privacy International, Access Now, Sea-Watch, BVMN, Homo Digitalis, and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

Libya to get new EU-funded boats despite crimes

The EU Commission is to deliver three new 'P150' patrol boats to the Libyan coast guard, despite a recent UN report citing possible crimes against humanity at Libyan detention centres.

EU mulls 'specialised teams' to counter migration abroad

The EU is exploring ways to further crack down on irregular migration at its overseas missions, including the use of "specialised teams". Such missions are found in places like Niger, Libya, Mali, Somali, Iraq and elsewhere.

Magazine

The outdated myths and exciting reality of 'Digital Africa'

A look at the history of the digital transformation taking place in Africa proves that the continent is certainly not backward. Africa has always been progressive and is currently in the midst of an exciting and disruptive digital revolution.

Latest News

  1. Negotiations on asylum reform to start next week, says MEP
  2. EU gig workers compromise dubbed ‘a disaster for workers’
  3. EU's one-off chance to influence Laos taking over ASEAN chair
  4. Belgian bâtonnier on Russia: 'You can have a client you don't like'
  5. EU's proposed ethics body 'toothless', say campaigners
  6. Study: 90% of Spanish inflation 'driven by corporate profits'
  7. If Spanish economy is doing well, why is Sanchez poised to lose?
  8. EU lawyers for Russia: making 'good' money?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations
  2. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  3. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  4. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains
  2. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  3. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us