In order to ensure open and transparent employment conditions and equal treatment of staff, the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (Staff Regulations of Officials) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (Conditions of Employment), laid down in Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 (together referred to as the ‘Staff Regulations’), should apply to the staff and to the Executive Director of the Agency, including the rules of professional secrecy or other equivalent duties of confidentiality.

In order to ensure open and transparent employment conditions and equal treatment of staff, the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (Staff Regulations of Officials) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (Conditions of Employment), laid down in Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 (together referred to as the ‘Staff Regulations’), should apply to the staff and to the Executive Director of the Agency, including the rules of professional secrecy or other equivalent duties of confidentiality.

Upon Certification, the pending disputes WT/DS27; WT/DS361; WT/DS364; WT/DS16; WT/DS105; WT/DS158; WT/L/616; WT/L/625 and all claims filed to date by any and all Latin American MFN banana suppliers under the procedures of Articles XXIV and XXVIII of the GATT 1994 with respect to the EU trading regime for bananas (including G/SECRET/22 item 0803.00.19 and G/SECRET/22/Add.1; G/SECRET/20 and G/SECRET/20/Add.1; and G/SECRET/26) shall be settled .

I will say, however, that there are issues that are part of our democratic makeup and our style of government; things such as cabinet confidence, solicitor-client privilege, Crown privilege and parliamentary privilege that will come into contact with access to information over time.

To remedy this situation, the Commission has proposed to the German authorities that the system of limiting frequencies should be replaced (i) by arrangements which will ensure that the principle of the secrecy of communications is stated clearly and precisely in law, (ii) by measures to guarantee the secrecy of certain particularly sensitive communications (police, fire brigade, ambulances, etc.) using a system of coding, and (iii) by introducing penal or administrative penalties for infringing the secrecy of private communications.

Now that Russian officials have declared a new regime of secrecy, the SVR has a clear mandate to devote hefty resources to spying on the West, and their assessments and advice will be listened to closely in the Kremlin.