FRA has the right to control all electronic communication which crosses Sweden's borders. Included in that data traffic is, amongst other things, Finns' e-mails, telephone conversations via land lines and GSM, individuals search history on websites as well as inputs to debate forums on the Internet. About 95 per cent of messages sent from Finland abroad travel via Sweden.

The new Swedish surveillance law may be in conflict with the European convention on human rights. Each and every person has the right to privacy and to letter secrecy.

Arhinmäki wondered how there could be any guarantee that Sweden would not breach Finnish people’s human rights. Norwegian Rolf Reikvam brought the same matter up concerning the privacy of Norwegians.

The Swedish Minister for Co-operation, Cristina Husmark Pehrsson, said that the Swedish government was in the process of drawing up specifications for the law, which would then have to be approved by parliament.

The Finnish Minister for Co-operation, Jan Vapaavuori, was convinced that Sweden would ensure that the personal integrity and letter secrecy for citizens' of other countries would not be at risk.