Letter from United States Department of the Treasury regarding SWIFT/Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme

(2007/C 166/08)

June 28, 2007

Mr. Peer Steinbrück

Federal Minister of Finance

Federal Republic of Germany

Mr. Franco Frattini

Vice-President of the European Commission

Dear Minister Steinbrück and Vice-President Frattini:

The United States Department of the Treasury is pleased to transmit to the Council Presidency of the European Union and to the European Commission a set of representations which describe the controls and safeguards governing the handling, use and dissemination of data under the Treasury Department's Terrorist Financing Tracking Program (TFTP).

The TFTP contains multiple, overlapping layers of governmental and independent controls to ensure that the data, which are limited in nature, are used strictly for counterterrorism purposes, that data are retained only for as long as necessary for counterterrorism purposes and that all data are maintained in a secure environment and properly handled.

As a sign of our commitment and partnership in combating global terrorism and its financing, we have included in the representations provision for the sharing of further information about the TFTP with an eminent European to be appointed in consultation with the Treasury Department. The task of this person will be to confirm that the program is implemented consistent with the representations for the purpose of verifying the protection of EU-originating personal data. Further practical details for the performance of these oversight responsibilities will be agreed.

The Treasury Department will endeavor to publish these representations in the Federal Register and consents to their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.