WRITTEN QUESTION E-1625/99 by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Telephone tapping.
Date: 1999-09-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Internet, confidentiality, consumer protection, document, protection of privacy, publication, telecommunications

C 170 E/54

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2000

(2000/C 170 E/059)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1622/99

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 September 1999)

Subject: Infringement proceedings against the Italian government for the sale of the Rome Central Dairy

Can the Commission provide the results of the investigation carried out in the context of the infringement
proceedings against the Italian government and the Rome City Council in respect of the sale of the Rome
Central Dairy?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 1999)

The comments of the Italian authorities which they sent under the procedure provided for in Article 88(2)
(formerly Article 93) of the EC Treaty have now been studied and the Commission has requested
additional information from the Italian authorities on the measures taken by the City of Rome.

At this stage, the Commission is awaiting this additional information. After analysing all the comments
received, the Commission will be able to take a final decision on the measures in question.

(2000/C 170 E/060)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1624/99

by Markus Ferber (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 September 1999)

Subject: EU funding for a chicken farm in Vseruby (Czech Republic)

A German consortium is planning to build a chicken farm for 1,2 million laying hens and 200 000
chickens on the Bavarian-Czech border. There are considerable objections from the local population
because of the possibility of pathogens being carried by the wind.

Will the chicken farm in Vseruby be financed directly or indirectly by European funding (e.g. under
PHARE)?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(29 October 1999)

The Commission can confirm that the poultry farm to which the Honourable Member refers does not
receive Phare support. Neither is the Commission aware of any other Community funds being used for this
purpose.

(2000/C 170 E/061)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1625/99

by Esko Sepp(cid:228)nen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(15 September 1999)

Subject: Telephone tapping

A special package of measures related to home affairs is being drawn up in anticipation of
the
extraordinary Tampere European Council. Will any of the documents produced by the Commission for
the meeting, specifically with a view, for instance, to legalising the tapping of satellite telephone calls and
Internet communications, be treated as confidential after the meeting, or will all documents relating to the
sphere of activity concerned be released for publication once the meeting is over?

20.6.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 170 E/55

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(25 October 1999)

The Commission is not producing any documents, confidential or otherwise, on the issue of tapping of
satellite telephone calls, Internet communications in the preparation of the European Council of Tampere.
The only document prepared by the Commission in the run-up to the European Council of Tampere is an
information note (SEC(1999) 1518) on the preparation of this special meeting of the European Council
that will be devoted to discussing the development of the Union as an area of freedom, security and
justice. On the basis of this note, President Prodi has sent a letter to Prime Minister Lipponen on
23 September 1999. In this area, as in others, the Commission works in the maximum transparency as
possible and views on both the preparation and the results of the European Council of Tampere will be
exchanged with the Parliament.

As regards the issue of interception of telecommunications the Commission would refer the Honourable
Member to the debate held by the Parliament on 6 May 1999 on the Schmid(cid:146)s report on the issue of
interception of telecommunications. The position of the Commission on the issue was expressed by the
Commission before the Parliament at the occasion of the debate.

In short, the Commission understands the importance of this topic in particularly bearing in mind that the
telecommunications environment in Europe is constantly suffering rapid and revolutionary changes.

It considers that as regards this particular issue of interception on one hand account must be taken of the
legitimate concerns of law enforcement services (i.e. the development of telecommunications and the
Internet should not diminish the capacity of Member States to fight crime and to maintain national
security) and on the other hand,
it notes that there is an impressive growth in telecommunications
services, in particular the Internet, that requires that telecommunication users should have confidence in
the services offered if further expansion of the sector is to be achieved.

The Commission believes that it is crucial to strike the right balance between the interests concerned. This
can only be done through a dialogue between law enforcement authorities, operators, industry and those
most concerned with data protection issues.

Furthermore, a draft convention to improve mutual
legal assistance in criminal matters between the
Member States is currently being negotiated in the Council. This includes a number of provisions regarding
interception of telecommunication. The objective is to ensure that arrangements for interception for the
purpose of a criminal investigation can be devised to take account of new satellite telecommunication
systems.

(2000/C 170 E/062)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1627/99

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Measures to support rice-growing in Greece

(15 September 1999)

Regulation 2072/98 (1) established two base areas for rice-growing in Greece. As a result of implementing
the Regulation in 1998, no aid was paid to producers in the second area in which the quota was exceeded
despite the fact that the overall quota of 24 891 hectares laid down for Greece was not surpassed.

The regionalisation system coupled with the exceptionally high co-responsibility fine for exceeding the
quota have left rice-growers in a particularly difficult situation. Will the Commission, therefore, allow
quotas to be transferred from one area to another, as is the case with durum wheat? What other measures
will it take to support rice-growing (increase in the overall ceiling, allocation of quotas by prefecture,
controlling the massive, unrestricted imports from third countries)?

(1) OJ L 265, 30.9.1998, p. 4.