WRITTEN QUESTION E-2469/00

by Mario Mantovani (PPE-DE), Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) and Stefano Zappalà (PPE-DE) to the Council

(24 July 2000)

Subject: The Echelon spy system

According to recent reports in the Italian press, the Echelon spy system, set up by the National Security Agency (NSA) in collaboration with GCHQ in the United Kingdom, CSE in Canada, DSD in Australia and GCSB in New Zealand, has been used to intercept phone calls, faxes and e-mails in all parts of the world.

According to statements obtained by the Italian weekly Panorama made by former Lieutenant Wayne Madsen, a former US naval officer responsible for communication surveillance at the White House during Ronald Reagan's presidency, there are two NSA bases in Italy, one at San Vito dei Normanni and one at Gera Lario to the north of Lake Como, both of which are still partly in operation.

According to former Lieutenant Madsen, the station at Gera Lario, which began operation in 1976 and today belongs to Telespazio, a private company belonging to the Telecom Italia group and providing satellite services to the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, a listening post shrouded in mystery.

Telespazio has recently announced an agreement under which ships in the Italian Navy can communicate with each other and with the control centre using their own instruments.

What steps will the Council take to ascertain whether these reports are true and, if there is any truth in them, what will it do to put an end to these activities?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-2436/00 and E-2469/00

(10 November 2000)

As has been indicated in a number of replies given by the Council to the questions put by several members of the European Parliament, the Council has never received information, in accordance with the procedures laid down in the treaties, that would enable it to ascertain the existence of a telecommunications interception system such as that described by the Honourable Members.

Moreover, the Council would reiterate the fact that it could not accept the creation of a telecommunications interception system, insofar as its powers are concerned, which did not comply with the rules of law of the Treaties establishing the European Union and which would infringe the fundamental principles which aim to safeguard human dignity.

Furthermore, the Council would remind the Honourable Members that, at its meeting on 29 May 2000, it adopted conclusions on the interception of telecommunications outwith any legal framework. Those conclusions read as follows:

The Council had an exchange of views on the European Parliament's debates on interception of telecommunications outside of any legal framework.

The Council reaffirms its attachment to respect for the fundamental principles relating to the protection of human rights and personal freedoms, both for natural and legal persons, as recognised by the Treaty on European Union.

If telecommunications interception can be an important tool in combating crime or for the defence of national security, in no case can it be used for the objectives of gaining commercial advantage.

The Council has noted that the Commission intends shortly to bring forward appropriate measures for achieving a more secure information society.

The Council asks the Presidency to see to it that the relevant Council working parties ensure respect for the above principles and that they encourage, in particular, any preventive measure which may protect against the abuse of new technologies.