Statewatch is a UK-based charity founded in 1991 that produces and promotes critical research,

policy analysis Policy analysis or public policy analysis is a technique used in the public administration sub-field of political science to enable civil servants, nonprofit organizations, and others to examine and evaluate the available options to implement th ...

and

investigative journalism Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, racial injustice, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend m ...

to inform debates, movements and campaigns on

civil liberties Civil liberties are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process. Though the scope of the term differs between countries, civil liberties of ...

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

and democratic standards. Its work primarily focuses on

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, and in particular the institutions and agencies of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

, but it also engages with issues at the national level in the UK and member states and with organisations elsewhere in the world.

Mission and objectives

According to their

strategic plan Strategic planning is the activity undertaken by an organization through which it seeks to define its future direction and makes decision making, decisions such as resource allocation aimed at achieving its intended goals. "Strategy" has many def ...

, Statewatch's vision is: “An open Europe of

democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

, personal and political

rights Rights are law, legal, social, or ethics, ethical principles of freedom or Entitlement (fair division), entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal sy ...

, free movement, freedom of information, equality and diversity.” As of 2022, its mission is: “To monitor, analyse and expose state activity that threatens civil liberties, human rights and democratic standards in order to inform and enable a culture of diversity, debate and dissent.” To achieve this, Statewatch produces news, analyses and in-depth publications covering a range of topics related to state activity across Europe and the UK. These include topics such as

policing The police are a constituted body of people empowered by a state with the aim of enforcing the law and protecting the public order as well as the public itself. This commonly includes ensuring the safety, health, and possessions of citizen ...

;

surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing, or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as ...

and security technologies;

counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...

; asylum and

immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as Permanent residency, permanent residents. Commuting, Commuter ...

;

criminal law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It proscribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and Well-being, welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal l ...

; racism and discrimination; and

secrecy Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controver ...

, transparency, and freedom of information. It is well known for publishing official documents from EU institutions, in particular the

Council of the EU The Council of the European Union, often referred to in the treaties and other official documents simply as the Council, and less formally known as the Council of Ministers, is the third of the seven institutions of the European Union (EU) as ...

, and publishes more than a hundred such documents each year. Statewatch has filed several successful complaints with the

European Ombudsman The European Ombudsman is an inter-institutional body of the European Union that holds the institutions, bodies and agencies of the EU to account, and promotes good administration. The Ombudsman helps people, businesses and organisations facing ...

on issues concerning secrecy, transparency and openness in EU institutions and agencies. The organisation regularly publishes new material on its website and produces a bi-weekly email newsletter.

History

Statewatch was officially founded in 1991 as the operating arm of the Libertarian Research & Education Trust (Charity number: 1154784), which was initially set up in 1982. This built on the work of “State Research” (1977-1982), which produced a bi-monthly bulletin and carried out research on issues concerning state power and civil liberties in the UK.

1990s

Statewatch began operating in 1991, following an initiative by the founder and subsequent director, Tony Bunyan, and a group of other individuals from across Europe who perceived a need to produce research, reporting and analysis on civil liberties issues in the context of the new EU laws, policies and institutions that would be introduced by the Treaty of Maastricht. The original output of this initiative was the ''Statewatch Bulletin'', which was initially published in print six times per year, with articles written by Statewatch staff and members of the organisation's network of contributors, based in countries across Europe. Statewatch also hosted an online database through which users could search the organisation's Library & Archive, including official EU documents. The technical limitations of the early web meant that to view material, users had to visit the organisation's office or request photocopies in the post. The online database hosted by Statewatch was part of the organisation's work to create more transparency and openness around the powers and activities of EU institutions developing justice and home affairs laws and policies. The organisation filed hundreds of requests for access to documents, in particular to the

, and was also able to obtain substantial numbers of documents through more informal means. By 1998, Statewatch had submitted eight complaints to the

against the Council concerning public access to documents. As a result, the right of the Ombudsman to investigate secrecy complaints was written into the

Amsterdam Treaty The Treaty of Amsterdam, officially the Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, was signed on 2 October 1997, and entered into force on 1 May 1999; i ...

together with a commitment to “ enshrine” the public's right of access to information in an EC Regulation. The organisation subsequently played a key role in a coalition of groups that fought to ensure the Regulation ensured the greatest degree of openness possible. Many of the documents obtained during that period are now available online in th
Justice and Home Affairs Archive
In 1998, Statewatch received an award from the

Campaign for Freedom of Information Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed *Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme * Bl ...

for its work on fighting for EU openness and access to documents. In 2001, the European Information Association gave Statewatch the Chadwyck-Healey Award for achievement in European Information for its work on openness and the new code of access to EU documents. Since 1999, Statewatch has published ''Statewatch News'', an online news service that is a source for documents leaked from within EU institutions; for other original reporting; and for the circulation of material from related groups and campaigns. The documents published by the organisation, as well as its research and reporting, are regularly reported on by mainstream media outlets and used by civil society organisations for their own research, campaigning and advocacy.

Early 2000s

''Statewatch Journal'' and ''Statewatch News'' covered a range of notable topics through the early 2000s. This included key issues such as the Genoa G8 protests in 2001, security and policing in Northern Ireland, UK stop-and-search statistics, detention centres and abuses against migrants and refugees, and the policing of protests, in particular those organised by the anti-globalisation movement. The organisation's 10th anniversary conference in 2001 brought together hundreds of people from across Europe to discuss and debate topics such as surveillance, the role of civil society organisations in monitoring the state, racism in Europe, and freedom of information. During this time, Statewatch also reported on the effects of the “ War on Terror” on civil liberties, human rights and democratic standards. The organisation published news and reports on the �
EU Scoreboard
��,

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

’s letter to the EU, new measures on

data retention Data retention defines the policies of persistent data and records management for meeting legal and business data archival requirements. Although sometimes interchangeable, it is not to be confused with the Data Protection Act 1998. The differe ...

and the surveillance of air travel and profiling of passengers, amongst others. With the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...

and Privacy International, they launched th
Policy Laundering project
analysing how governments were writing

measures into law by passing them through international organisations, rather than national parliaments. They also kept several observatories, including one on the Passenger Name Record Directive, and produced a number of in-depth publications, includin
Countering Civil RightsThe War on Freedom and Democracy
an
Journalism, Civil Liberties and the "War on Terrorism"
(with the

International Federation of Journalists The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is the largest global union federation of journalists' trade unions in the world. It represents more than 600,000 media workers from 187 organisations in 146 countries. The IFJ is an associate ...

). Statewatch also contributed to research on the technological solutionism of governments that gained momentum during the War on Terror. Measures introduced by the EU and European national governments frequently relied on the promise of new technologies to detect or prevent terrorism and crime. Statewatch primarily focused on the EU security research programme, which funds the development of new security and surveillance technologies. In collaboration with the Transnational Institute, the organisation published the report
Arming Big Brother: the EU's Security Research Programme
(in 2006), an
NeoConOpticon: The EU Security-Industrial Complex (2009)
which documented and analysed the ways in which the EU was using public funding to support the development of controversial and intrusive new security technologies, in many cases by large military and defence corporations. In 2009, Statewatch also publishe
The Shape of Things to Come
which warned that the EU had embarked on several highly controversial paths, including harnessing

digitisation Digitization is the process of converting information into a Digital data, digital (i.e. computer-readable) format.Collins Dictionary. (n.d.). Definition of 'digitize'. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dicti ...

to gather personal details on the everyday lives of everyone living in the

. Statewatch was one of few organisations focusing on EU policy with regard to

and

at this time. Through this work, the organisation became recognised as a crucial information source at a time when the internet was not fully embedded in everyday life. Amongst the subscribers to the Bulletin/Journal were governmental institutions, social centres, activist groups, universities, and thousands of individuals; the Statewatch website received (and continues to receive) hundreds of thousands of hits every year.

2010s

Statewatch continued work along similar themes into the 2010s. It continued producing the quarterly editions of the Bulletin/Journal, articles published via ''Statewatch News'', and gave talks and presentations at events and conferences in countries across Europe. A conference held in 2011 for the 20th anniversary of the organisation once again brought together hundreds of people from across Europe for workshops and panel discussions on

border control Border control comprises measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it als ...

and asylum; state surveillance; the policing of

protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...

; and

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

and

Islamophobia Islamophobia is the irrational fear of, hostility towards, or hatred against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general. Islamophobia is primarily a form of religious or cultural bigotry; and people who harbour such sentiments often stereot ...

, amongst other topics. Statewatch published two in-depth reports on drones during this period
Back from the battlefield: domestic drones in the UK
an
Eurodrones, Inc
The reports, published at a time when states were seeking to find ways to make it possible to fly drones in civil airspace, argued that the technology would enhance the powers of agencies such as the

police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

, yet were being treated as a technical matter that did not merit democratic or public debate. At the same time, the growing spread and use of the web to access information led to a decline in the number of subscribers to the Statewatch Bulletin/Journal. The final edition was published in 2014, with articles intended for an edition that was never to make it to print published as an online collection. ''Statewatch News'' continued publication, providing access to a wide array of articles, press releases, sources, and hundreds of leaked EU documents every year. Prominent amongst that output were articles exposing the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

providing funding to set up surveillance systems prior to legislation being passed; joint EU police operations targeting irregular migrants; the provision of hundreds of millions of euros for the development of drone technology; and EU funding for remote car-stopping technology, amongst other things. These articles received substantial coverage in the mainstream press and were also used by a wide variety of other groups for their work: for example, activists campaigning against

racial profiling Racial profiling or ethnic profiling is the offender profiling, selective enforcement or selective prosecution based on race or ethnicity, rather than individual suspicion or evidence. This practice involves discrimination against minority pop ...

by the police, or

MEPs A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Comm ...

seeking to stop EU legislation on the mandatory police surveillance of air travel. As a partner in the projec
Securing Europe through Counter-terrorism: Impact, Legitimacy and Effectiveness (SECILE)
Statewatch led the workstream on researching EU counter-terrorism legislation and conducted a 'stocktake' of EU counter-terrorism measures enacted since

11 September 2001 The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, as well as collecting and analysing data about their implementation and assessment. This provided an empirical basis for other aspects of the project. Statewatch's research found that between legislative and non-legislative instruments, the EU had adopted at least 239 separate counter-terrorism measures since 9/11. 88 of those (36%) were legally binding, yet just three public consultations had been held, and only 22 impact assessments were conducted by the

. In 2017, the repor
Market forces: the development of the EU security-industrial complex
provided an update on the themes that were first examined in the report
Arming Big Brother: the EU's Security Research Programme
an
NeoConOpticon: The EU Security-Industrial Complex
The report highlighted the ongoing provisions of millions of euros in public funding to major weapons and IT corporations, many of whom also played a role in determining the priorities of the research programme. At the same time, Statewatch was engaged in a major effort to draw public and political attention to the EU's “

interoperability Interoperability is a characteristic of a product or system to work with other products or systems. While the term was initially defined for information technology or systems engineering services to allow for information exchange, a broader de ...

” agenda, through which a number of large policing and migration databases would be interconnected, and a “Common Identity Repository” to store data on up to 300 million foreign nationals in the EU would be constructed. This led to cooperation with the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), through the publication o
Data Protection, Immigration Enforcement and Fundamental Rights: What the EU's Regulations on Interoperability Mean for People with Irregular Status
This report analysed the potential effects of the interoperability architecture for people living in the EU without official documents. The following year, Statewatch publishe
Automated suspicion: The EU's new travel surveillance initiatives
a report that analysed how the EU's “interoperable” databases would introduce the algorithmic profiling of all travellers. In 2019, the organisation was awarded the Hostwriter Story Prize as part of a consortium of journalists working on the projec
Invisible Borders
which investigated the introduction of biometric identity controls by European and African governments.

Awards

The organization and its former Director/Director Emeritus, Tony Bunyan, have received several awards for their civil rights activism. These include: * 1998: The

gave Statewatch an award for its work on fighting for EU openness (access to documents) Christiane Schulzki-Haddouti
"Netzdepesche: Eurokraten versus Europakritiker"
("Eurocrats Versus Europe critic"), ''

Der Spiegel (, , stylized in all caps) is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of about 724,000 copies in 2022, it is one of the largest such publications in Europe. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...

'', 20 January 2000 (in German). * 1999: Privacy International gave Statewatch an award for its work in exposing EU-FBI telecommunications

plans * 2001: The European Information Association gave Statewatch the "Chadwyck-Healey Award for achievement in European Information" for its work on openness and the new code of access to EU documents * 2001 and 2004: the European Voice newspaper selected Tony Bunyan, Statewatch Director, as one of the 50 most influential people in the EU for Statewatch's work on access to documents in the EU (2001) and civil liberties and the “war on terror” (2004) * 2011: Liberty awards Statewatch the human rights Long Walk Award: "For dedication to openness, democracy and informed debate about European institutions, keeping us reliably informed and suitably engaged for the last 20 years” * 2019: The project ''Invisible Borders'', undertaken with a team of journalists from across Europe, wins first place in the Hostwriter Story Prize competition

Archives and Databases

The organization has an extensive Library & Archive and three free databases: a large database of all its news, articles and links since 1991, the Statewatch European Monitoring and Documentation Centre (SEMDOC) which monitors all new justice and home affairs measures since 1993.

Statewatch Library & Archive

Statewatch maintains a Library & Archive in its office in London, which is open for visits by the public. The archive contains material primarily produced in the UK between the 1960s and the 1990s, with some dates going back even further. The collection includes around 800 books; over 2,500 items of ‘grey literature’ (pamphlets, zines, reports and more) on political and social struggles and movements; over 1,000 EU documents that are not currently hosted in the online Justice and Home Affairs Archive; the ABC Case Archive; complete and partial runs of more than 60 magazines and journals; and more than 350 political badges. Topics covered by the material include police powers and public order; anti-racism and anti-fascism; criminal law; surveillance; prisons and detention sites; immigration, asylum and borders; and the powers and activities of security intelligence agencies. In addition to the physical archive, Statewatch hosts multiple online databases, including the database of all its news research since 1991, the Statewatch European Monitoring and Documentation Centre (SEMDOC), and the EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Archive.

Statewatch European Monitoring and Documentation Centre (SEMDOC)

The SEMDOC archive covered every measure, proposed and adopted, in the field of EU justice and home affairs policy from 1993 to 2019. It contains a legislative observatory of past, current and future JHA measures, although it is no longer updated.

The EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Archive

The JHA Archive contains over 9,000 bibliographic records and full-text documents on EU Justice and Home Affairs policy from 1976 to 2000. The earliest records begin at the time the Trevi Group (an ad hoc intergovernmental cooperation on Terrorism, Radicalism and Violence) was created. This archive is used as a resource to demonstrate the historical development of EU JHA policy. Many documents from that period remain classified or have not been published in the Council of the EU's online register, and the European Commission's incomplete public register begins in 2002.

Statewatch Database

The Statewatch Database contains over 35,000 items. It includes everything Statewatch has published since 1991, including Statewatch News, the Statewatch Bulletin/Journal and the State Research archive alongside official reports and documentation, analyses, links and more.

References

External links

* {{Authority control __FORCETOC__ Civil liberties advocacy groups Information privacy International organisations based in London Non-profit organisations based in London Organisations based in the City of London Organizations established in 1991 Organisations related to the European Union Watchdog journalism 1991 establishments in Europe