European Court of Justice gives EU officials licence to lie
EU Observer reports that the European Court of Justice has given the European Commission the all clear to “go fishing” in journalists’ files whenever it likes, according to the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ).
According to EFJ secretary general, Adrian White, the court’s recent (April 19) decision to quash an appeal by Hans-Martin Tillack, the former Brussels correspondent of Stern magazine, could turn off potential sources and whistle-blowers from acting on their conscience for fear of discovery and reprisal.
Tillack had appealed against an earlier ruling absolving the European Commission´s anti-fraud office, OLAF, from inciting the Belgian police to raid the reporter´s flat last March. The appeal also asked the European Court of Justice to block OLAF from seizing over a thousand pages of documents and thousands of emails seized in the raid.
According to Tillack, OLAF provoke the raid by telling the Belgian police (dishonestly) that he had bribed officials and was planning to flee to the US. No charges have been brought against Tillack to date.
The EFJ is pushing for a Europe-wide freedom of information law that would give journalists´sources and whistle-blowers a funadamental right to confidentiality.
The European Commission has not taken up the proposal although Belgium did tighten up laws protecting its journalists late last year.
Tuesday 26 Apr 2005 | Paul | EU
