Have the pundits actually bothered to read the EU Constitution ?
Ask any politician or journalist or other commentator who expresses an opinion on the European Union Constitution if they have actually read it.
A complete version with all the amendments and also some annotations, and a couple of alternative reports is available (in multiple languages) at
http://www.euabc.com/?page_id=207
The legally binding Charter of Fundamental Rights includes a simplified version of Article 8 of the European Declaration of Human Rights, without the massive exemptions for law enforcement etc.
"Article II-7:
Respect for private and family life
Everyone has the right to respect for his or her private and family life, home and communications.
Article II-8:
Protection of personal data
1. Everyone has the right to the protection of personal data concerning him or her.
2. Such data must be processed fairly for specified purposes and on the basis of the consent of the person concerned or some other legitimate basis laid down by law. Everyone has the right of access to data which has been collected concerning him or her, and the right to have it rectified.
3. Compliance with these rules shall be subject to control by an independent authority."
These Data Protection statements could scupper the UK Government's various sneaky plans for sharing of personal data without consent e.g. the recent
Committee stage of the Children Bill regarding the controversial proposed database on all 11 million children in the UK:
""Baroness Ashton of Upholland:
24 May 2004 :Column 1075
As noble Lords will know from the early provisions of the Data Protection Act, the purpose of putting in this regulation making clause is to enable us to use the databases without having to refer to anyone each time a piece of information is shared"
These clauses may also affect the National Identity Register proposed under the Draft ID Card Bill.
There is a non-legally binding Declaration:
"Personal Data Declaration for incorporation in the Final Act re Article I-50
Rules on protection of The Conference declares that, whenever rules on protection of personal data to be adopted on the basis of Article I-50 could have direct implications for national security, due account will have to be taken of the
specific characteristics of the matter. It recalls that the legislation presently applicable (see in particular Directive 95/46/EC) includes specific derogations in this regard."
Which is a typical example of just how vague, opaque and obscure this treaty (not really a written constitution) is on anything apart from the names of the Member States and the number of Members of the European Parliament that they elect, the weighted majority voting rules and the number of European Union Commissioners.