mr president thank you commissioner for your very careful statement
those in this parliament who know me and know the twelve years i have spent here will know that i intervene in such debates with a great reticence
but over a year ago as a vice-president of this parliament i was asked to visit bulgaria to speak about the stockholm programme for justice
it is clear that our programme for justice has moved from an emphasis on security to an emphasis on justice and all of us in our member states have to get that balance right
i remember from my visit to bulgaria the great interest of bulgarian judges in what we are doing and want to pursue at union level
but i was surprised last week to receive a visitor in my office in brussels who spoke about people in bulgaria receiving visits from the secret service in their homes at night
this is something that is totally alien to me and i find it very difficult to understand and to stand here saying this
that said it seems to me as mr swoboda has already said that the current legislation that exists on phone tapping let us call it what it is appears to be correct
where there was formerly scrutiny by an independent body there is now scrutiny by a parliamentary body
has that led to a lessening of the regard for rights
there does seem to be an increase in the numbers and an increase in the numbers seems to indicate and i underline seems that there is an easier or a quicker granting by judges of this possibility
part of the reason i want to speak is a linked matter which relates to the citizen's initiative
it appears that people feel that they are being pressurised to withdraw signatures
we have to implement the european citizens initiative over the course of the next year
i would ask the commission to watch this space very carefully
