#third countries

>Millenial growing up *in* the new millenium

>Fan of rock music and whatever genres people specify

>Have all the 30 Seconds to Mars albums on your iPod nano when This is War came out

>We be jamming to them tracks in public transport

>10+ years later, be in your 30s. Forget your teenage lust for Jared lteto

>Adulting, tragedy and depression have made you forget

>But now Film is your new love, and you are going in deep

>Watch House of Gucci a few months too late

>See a random Jared Leto

>Look him up on Google

...

>Find out he is LITERALLY FIFTY YEARS OLD TODAY AND ALL THIS TIME YOU THOUGHT IT WAS JUST FAKE WOKE PEOPLE TRYING TO CANCEL HIM AS A PREDATOR AND REALIZE IF YOU HAD HAD ACCESS TO HIS CONCERTS AND WEIRD CULT, YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN GROOMED

The EU has been accused of contributing to the development of ‘surveillance’ capacities in third countries without considering fundamental rights and data protection; according to a complaint filed with the European Ombudsman by a coalition of privacy NGOs.

The dossier sent to the EU oversight body includes internal documents and communications relative to projects that provide training, technology and financing to law enforcement authorities in third countries, notably in Africa and the Western Balkans.

The NGOs regret that in all cases, the EU bodies and agencies failed to provide an impact assessment for the potential implications on human rights and privacy despite the grave consequences if the capacities provided were misused. They have labelled it a case of maladministration.

“EU bodies must equally ensure respect for human rights in their external relations, by, for example, assessing the risks that their actions pose to human rights. What our research suggests, however, is that these assessments are lacking when transferring surveillance capabilities outside the EU,” said Ioannis Kouvakas, legal officer and acting general counsel at Privacy International.

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European tax commissioner Algirdas Semeta criticized, in a speech at Leuven in Belgium on 16 November 2010, EU member states that have made bilateral tax information exchange agreements with third countries.

His comments followed the recent agreements made by the UK and Germany to pursue deals with Switzerland. Under these agreements, the Swiss government will not routinely disclose information about British and German taxpayers, but instead will impose a withholding tax on assets they own in Switzerland.

Commissioner Semeta insisted that the Commission will be satisfied only when "close neighbour" third countries, particularly Switzerland, agree to exchange taxpayer information automatically with all EU countries, as specified in the EU Savings Directive.

He said it was logical to expect close neighbours to cooperate more closely with the EU on the exchange of information. "It is not sufficient that individual EU member states conclude bilateral agreements with third countries which provide for the OECD standards of transparency and exchange of information," he said.

"It is much more interesting for a tax authority to receive comprehensive information about the assets owned by its residents abroad than to receive only a withholding tax on the income produced by such assets [which] does not allow Member States to assess the overall tax base of their residents."

Semeta said he expected EU Finance Ministers to reach a political agreement on the Commission's proposals for administrative cooperation "very soon".