Parliamentary Assembly: Call for European Convention on Privacy

IRIS 1997-9:1/21

Ad van Loon

European Audiovisual Observatory

On 2 September 1997, in the wake of the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, members of the 40-nation Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly called for the drafting of a European Convention on Privacy. A motion tabled by David Atkinson (UK-EDG) was signed by members of the Political Affairs Committee from all political groups across Europe.

The MPs voiced their alarm at the continued intrusion into personal privacy in member states - in violation of Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights. The Assembly's Bureau has referred the matter to its Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee with a view towards drafting such a Convention.

The draft would have to include among its principles the protection of privacy of lawful behaviour from photography without approval or permission, the motion says.