SET2 SOCIAL STUDIES – The rule of law TTO-4
This SET contains open questions and true / false statements about the rule of law.
Start with the open questions! In brackets you find the marks you can get for each
subquestion. In total, there are 40 points to gain. GOOD LUCK!
PART A: OPEN QUESTIONS (start with this part!)
Read the article ‘US want information about passengers’ sexual life’ (Sept. 2007) and start
with the first question on the back of this page.
US want information about passengers’ sexual life
Since 31 July a new treaty between the United States and the European Union has
been in force, which covers the use and exchange of passenger information.
According to this new treaty, the American
authorities are allowed to use personal informa-
tion such as political preference, ethnic back-
ground and religious disposition in some
cases, but it is also explicitly stated that the US
can ask for details about passengers’ sexual life.
The term ‘sexual life’ goes a lot further than the
term ‘sexual preference’. The government has
neglected to inform the Lower House about this,
according to MP Jan de Wit (photo) of the SP in
this week’s Gay Krant Magazine.
The new agreement between the EU and the US about providing passengers’ personal
information was introduced to fight international terrorism. Dutch parliament still has to
approve of the Act. Jan de Wit found out that in the US’ so-called side-letter to the EU that
in extraordinary cases information about people’s sexual life can be used. “The American
government determines solely by itself when it finds a case extraordinary enough to use
this provision. How they do this and which criteria are used, is not known”, De Wit states in
the Gay Krant Magazine this week.
The government didn’t mention this part of the treaty to the
Lower House. “The government is acting suspiciously by
concealing this subject”, according to De Wit. (…)
“The agreement between the EU and the US doesn’t meet
international standards; there is no democratic check-up and
even no control whatsoever. There is no limit to America’s
desire to gather every piece of information. I’m glad a few
Dutch MPs are finally waking up”, Sophie in ’t Veld (D66-
reporter for the European Parliament) puts forward. It doesn’t
surprise her at all that the US are even keeping a close watch
on the international datingsite Gaydar.
According to the European privacy supervisors, among which our College Bescherming
Persoonsgegevens (CBP), the agreement between the EU and the US contains too little
guarantee that people’s civil rights are protected.
Naar: www.gk.nl (Gaykrant), 6 september 2007
P.T.O.
1
This SET contains open questions and true / false statements about the rule of law.
Start with the open questions! In brackets you find the marks you can get for each
subquestion. In total, there are 40 points to gain. GOOD LUCK!
PART A: OPEN QUESTIONS (start with this part!)
Read the article ‘US want information about passengers’ sexual life’ (Sept. 2007) and start
with the first question on the back of this page.
US want information about passengers’ sexual life
Since 31 July a new treaty between the United States and the European Union has
been in force, which covers the use and exchange of passenger information.
According to this new treaty, the American
authorities are allowed to use personal informa-
tion such as political preference, ethnic back-
ground and religious disposition in some
cases, but it is also explicitly stated that the US
can ask for details about passengers’ sexual life.
The term ‘sexual life’ goes a lot further than the
term ‘sexual preference’. The government has
neglected to inform the Lower House about this,
according to MP Jan de Wit (photo) of the SP in
this week’s Gay Krant Magazine.
The new agreement between the EU and the US about providing passengers’ personal
information was introduced to fight international terrorism. Dutch parliament still has to
approve of the Act. Jan de Wit found out that in the US’ so-called side-letter to the EU that
in extraordinary cases information about people’s sexual life can be used. “The American
government determines solely by itself when it finds a case extraordinary enough to use
this provision. How they do this and which criteria are used, is not known”, De Wit states in
the Gay Krant Magazine this week.
The government didn’t mention this part of the treaty to the
Lower House. “The government is acting suspiciously by
concealing this subject”, according to De Wit. (…)
“The agreement between the EU and the US doesn’t meet
international standards; there is no democratic check-up and
even no control whatsoever. There is no limit to America’s
desire to gather every piece of information. I’m glad a few
Dutch MPs are finally waking up”, Sophie in ’t Veld (D66-
reporter for the European Parliament) puts forward. It doesn’t
surprise her at all that the US are even keeping a close watch
on the international datingsite Gaydar.
According to the European privacy supervisors, among which our College Bescherming
Persoonsgegevens (CBP), the agreement between the EU and the US contains too little
guarantee that people’s civil rights are protected.
Naar: www.gk.nl (Gaykrant), 6 september 2007
P.T.O.
1
