The EU is investing hundreds of millions of taxpayer euros in the development of surveillance drones without political oversight, a report claims. The authors of the document warn the EU is secretly encouraging “the further militarization” of the region.
A report entitled ‘Eurodrones Inc.’ published by rights group
Statewatch describes how the EU is channeling
taxpayers’ money into surveillance drone projects without their
knowledge.
“More than 315 million euro ($430 million) has so far been spent
in EU research funding on drone technology or drones geared
towards a specific purpose such as policing or border
control,” writes the report.
However, the document points out that the research funding is
largely “invisible” to the people and parliaments of
Europe and lacks the proper political oversight. According to the
report this was achieved by a secret budget line that was
included in new EU legislation on air traffic control for this
year.
The report describes a 20-year roadmap that aims to introduce
surveillance drones into EU airspace and highlights that this
plan is being shaped by “thinly accountable officials” and
representatives of large corporations.
“The EU’s emerging drone policy has come about following
years of successful lobbying by defense and security companies
and their associates,” said co-author of the report Chris
Jones in a statement on Statewatch’s website, adding that these
are the same defense and security contractors that have the most
to gain.
The drones in question would engage in civilian surveillance
activities, such as border patrols and the search for criminals.
However, Statewatch is concerned that the convert nature of the
program lends itself to the “further militarization” of
the European Union.
Calling for “proper democratization” and the opening of
public debate on the issue, the report notes the EU turned a
blind eye to a European Commission statement in 2012 that
declared the development of unmanned surveillance craft should be
more transparent.
It recommended the issue be discussed with a number of
organizations, including the European Group on Ethics, the LIBE
Committee of the European Parliament or the European Agency for
Fundamental Rights and Data Protection Supervisor.
“Yet none of these bodies have been involved,” writes the
report. “Their absence from policy debates means that many of
the conversations the EU should be having about drones – such as
what they should and should not be used for, and how to prevent
further militarization and the deployment of fully autonomous
weaponized drones – have been all but ignored.”
Although the authors of the report do not outwardly criticize
research into drones, they do stress the fact that the current
program is too “heavily skewed toward the interests of the
big defense contractors.”
They argue that this could lead to “unwarranted state
surveillance and repression,” as well as enhanced prospects
for combat drone research for a global arms race.
“It’s easy to see why people are so excited about drones: there
are many positive things they could be used for,” said
co-author Ben Hayes. He concluded that given the “clear
implications” for civil liberties in the balance, the EU has
a “moral and legal obligation” to uphold fundamental
rights and the rule of law.