Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07VIENNA244
2007-02-02 09:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
SWIFT: AUSTRIA IN HOLDING PATTERN
how-toVZCZCXRO6093 PP RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHVI #0244 0330937 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 020937Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6150 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000244
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2017
TAGS: EFIN PTER KTFN PREL
SUBJECT: SWIFT: AUSTRIA IN HOLDING PATTERN
REF: 06 VIENNA 3551
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000244
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2017
TAGS: EFIN PTER KTFN PREL
SUBJECT: SWIFT: AUSTRIA IN HOLDING PATTERN
REF: 06 VIENNA 3551
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) On January 31, DCM and Econ Unit Chief met with
Thomas Wieser, the Ministry of Finance's Director General for
Economic Policy and Financial Markets, and Birgit Ertl, MoF
Adviser, to inquire about Austria's latest thinking on SWIFT.
Ertl, who is the MoF's POC for SWIFT, said that the GoA had
only sent an interim reply to Justice and Home Affairs DG
Jonathan Faull's December letter. According to Ertl, the
Austrian Data Protection Committee had not yet agreed on an
appropriate response.
2. (C) Ertl said that Swedish officials had contacted her to
stress that the EU needs SWIFT in order to ensure a
functioning general payments system. According to Ertl,
several member states -- the UK, Netherlands, and Sweden --
were working on an initiative for a reasonable outcome. Ertl
noted that many member states were waiting for the German
Presidency to outline its position, before committing
themselves. Ertl admitted that Austria was in a holding
pattern, waiting to see how things developed in Brussels.
3. (C) Wieser agreed with our point that the SWIFT
discussion needed to have a better balance between law
enforcement obligations, data privacy rights, and maintaining
a worldwide payments system. Wieser good-naturedly
characterized the Austrian dat protection authorities as
"ayatollahs." Accordng to Wieser, since the SWIFT story
became publi in June 2006, only one bank -- a small,
provincal one -- had complained about the program to GoAfinancial authorities.
4. (C) Comment: The MoFhas been a voice of reason on SWIFT
(reftel),prvately criticizing what it feels was an initial
ack of engagement with the EU on SWIFT, but advocaing a
low-key, behind-the-scenes approach to rach a solution. The
Data Protection Committee, as Wieser noted, is zealous in its
independent function as a data protection guardian. Adequate
protection of data privacy certainly has resonance in
Austrian society, given the country's experience under
national socialism.
MCCAW
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2017
TAGS: EFIN PTER KTFN PREL
SUBJECT: SWIFT: AUSTRIA IN HOLDING PATTERN
REF: 06 VIENNA 3551
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) On January 31, DCM and Econ Unit Chief met with
Thomas Wieser, the Ministry of Finance's Director General for
Economic Policy and Financial Markets, and Birgit Ertl, MoF
Adviser, to inquire about Austria's latest thinking on SWIFT.
Ertl, who is the MoF's POC for SWIFT, said that the GoA had
only sent an interim reply to Justice and Home Affairs DG
Jonathan Faull's December letter. According to Ertl, the
Austrian Data Protection Committee had not yet agreed on an
appropriate response.
2. (C) Ertl said that Swedish officials had contacted her to
stress that the EU needs SWIFT in order to ensure a
functioning general payments system. According to Ertl,
several member states -- the UK, Netherlands, and Sweden --
were working on an initiative for a reasonable outcome. Ertl
noted that many member states were waiting for the German
Presidency to outline its position, before committing
themselves. Ertl admitted that Austria was in a holding
pattern, waiting to see how things developed in Brussels.
3. (C) Wieser agreed with our point that the SWIFT
discussion needed to have a better balance between law
enforcement obligations, data privacy rights, and maintaining
a worldwide payments system. Wieser good-naturedly
characterized the Austrian dat protection authorities as
"ayatollahs." Accordng to Wieser, since the SWIFT story
became publi in June 2006, only one bank -- a small,
provincal one -- had complained about the program to GoAfinancial authorities.
4. (C) Comment: The MoFhas been a voice of reason on SWIFT
(reftel),prvately criticizing what it feels was an initial
ack of engagement with the EU on SWIFT, but advocaing a
low-key, behind-the-scenes approach to rach a solution. The
Data Protection Committee, as Wieser noted, is zealous in its
independent function as a data protection guardian. Adequate
protection of data privacy certainly has resonance in
Austrian society, given the country's experience under
national socialism.
MCCAW