British Home Secretary Charles Clarke on Wednesday said European Union governments would push ahead with plans to adopt proposals for the retention of data on electronic communications regardless of whether they were backed by the European Parliament, DPA reported. Clarke made his comments after a majority of ministers backed the Commission's proposal to store data on phone, fax and mobile phone communications for at least one year. The measure is part of a new European Commission counter-terror package. The European Parliament has voiced reservations about the data retention proposal, with lawmakers warning of serious concerns about the civil liberties implication of such a move. Clarke has been pushing for several weeks for a fast-track E.U. decision authorising mobile phone operators and internet service providers to retain and make available all communications data to intelligence and security services. His calls follow the bomb attacks on London's transport system in July.
