WAPI News

WAPI CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT TO THE EUROPEAN CONGRESS IN STRASBOURG

Kindly delivered by John Edwards - WAPI GC Member (EU Affairs).

Message of support from WAPI Chairman Ian D. Withers:-

Colleagues and Friends, I regret that I am unable to be in Strasbourg with you on this important and unique occasion. An occasion which creates an opportunity for the Pan European Private Investigator Sector to come together - to express our various concerns and bring to the table the ideas that will hopefully be seriously considered by the EU Parliament in terms of balancing the historic and well publicised objective of creating within the wider EU Community a framework to support the Right to both live and work anywhere in the Community without unnecessary restriction from individual EU States, many of whom seem determined to maintain National-control wherever possible. The creation of more and more Quango's funded by the various Professions and generating expensive and unnecessary employment in the new industry of "Professional Regulators" which restricts free trade and movement contrary to the principles of the EU Internal Market Directives. The Investigation Sector may indeed be very tiny - compared to most, however, we provide a vitally important service to the legal systems throughout Europe and beyond, we also provide in many places a viable option for those being prosecuted, to access skilled investigative facilities to work for the Defence.

Restricted as we all are by Pan European Social Law - Data Protection and Privacy, we can still provide a vital service to our Clients.

The WAPI GC, ably represented at this Congress by John Edwards & Rick Howatson, would wish to pledge our wholehearted support to this newly planned European Association, and we will work with all of you, to hopefully create a better political understanding of the role of the "Private Investigator" within Europe.

We seek, and urge our European Colleagues and Allies to support our concept of the Licensing of our Sector, to European standards - rather than National (Local) Licenses ? The Drivers Licence is an outstanding example of just how simple it really is to licence through an Authority within each EU State - but reciprocally recognised throughout Europe (and further afield)

If a minimum set of Criteria based upon:-
Competence (established by qualifications and/or proven experience)
Clear relevant criminal record,
Proof of Identity & Age
could be laid down as an EU Directive, to be adopted by each EU State, and those Applicants who were deemed as suitably qualified could be issued with a Photo ID similar to a Drivers Licence - allowing them to conduct investigative activities throughout the EU - this would be beneficial to our Sector, the Public at large and the Regulatory Authorities within each EU State.

It is, in our submission totally unacceptable, and immoral for an EU State to regulate by way of National Law, not only restricting trans-European free movement of trade BUT in so doing, criminalizing Fellow Europeans who undertake their day to day Professional Duties for their Clients in EU States other than their home State!

For any modern Government to pass laws which would give a genuine Private Investigator a Criminal Record, Time in Prison - as a Convict! and destroy his Professional Standing is an irony!! Does our modern European Community really believe that it can be right to provide more and more legal Rights to protect the criminal element from invasion of their privacy, aiding such persons to hide and elude prosecution, whilst criminalizing the investigators!!

Ladies and Gentlemen - This is the time for all European Private Investigators to stand up together, and to represent our mutual concerns to our Parliament - the European Parliament

Thank you.

Ian (D. Withers) - Chairman
WAPI - World Association
of Professional Investigators
Chairman@WAPI.com
www.wapi.com

Quick links > Home > Member Services > WAPI news