WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3509/97 by Leonie van BLADEL to the Council. Violation of privacy by European local authorities
Date: 1997-11-14
Institutions: European Parliament, VAN BLADEL
Subjects: Netherlands, competence of the Member States, freedom of movement, protection of privacy, public order, road traffic, video communications

25. 5. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 158/135

For  its  part,  the  Commission  makes  a  point  of  raising  these  issues  in  its  contacts  with  the  authorities  of  the
countries concerned and strives with all means at its disposal to contribute to the elimination of the practices
referred to by the Honourable Member.

An example of this is the proposal it adopted at the end of October regarding the implementation of the social and
environmental incentive clauses in the framework of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). Specifically,
the draft Council Regulation provides for the granting of additional preferences to those countries benefiting
from the system which specifically request them and which can demonstrate that they have adopted, and are
effectively  enforcing,  the  substance  of  the  international  standards  relating  to  the  protection  of  workers
established by the International Labour Organisation, in particular Convention No 138, on the minimum age for
admission to employment.

(98/C 158/176)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3508/97

by Leonie van Bladel (UPE) to the Council

(14 November 1997)

Subject: Parliamentary control of intelligence and security services in Agenda 2000

1.
Does the Council know that on 20 September 1997 Mr K. M. Meulmeester, in his capacity as adviser to the
Prime Minister of the Netherlands, attended a Europe 2000 conference in Bucharest at which the main topic was
(cid:145)European models on parliamentary control regarding law enforcement and intelligence organizations(cid:146)?

Is the Council aware that, as the former head of the now defunct Netherlands Foreign Intelligence Service
2.
(IDB),  Mr  Meulmeester  and  the  former  Secretary-General  of  the  Netherlands  General  Affairs  Ministry,
Mr R.J. Hoekstra, had files destroyed by the IDB as a matter of course and in particular had files relating to
Suriname compiled and processed without parliamentary approval?

Does the Council not agree that officials who fail to comply with the democratic rules in their own country
3.
should  in  no  circumstances  be  involved  in  information  and  support  activities  in  Eastern  Europe  relating  to
intelligence and security services?

4. Will the Council ask the Commission to draw up guidelines to ensure that in future officials who have
infringed  democratic  rules  are  in  no  circumstances  involved  in  information  and  support  activities  relating  to
intelligence and security services?

The questions raised by the Honourable Member are not a matter for the Council.

Answer

(20 January 1998)

(98/C 158/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3509/97

by Leonie van Bladel (UPE) to the Council

(14 November 1997)

Subject: Violation of privacy by European local authorities

1.
In the Hofkwartier district of The Hague, all traffic on the corner of Molenstraat and Prinsestraat, including
pedestrians, is recorded on video cameras by the local authority in connection with the closure of a section of the
city to motorized traffic. The video pictures are also monitored by private individuals, namely the staff of the
Park  Hotel  in  The  Hague,  who  allow  motor  vehicles  selected  by  them  through  the  pedestrian  zone  between
11.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. Does the Council not consider that surveillance of the public highway in Europe should
never be contracted out by local authorities to private individuals?