WRITTEN QUESTION E-1066/01 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Origins of the Aventinus and Sensus projects.
Date: 2001-04-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU police cooperation, Europol, exchange of information, linguistics, research project, secret service

14.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/19

The Commission has only obtained information on this alleged case of adulterated milk through the press.
There is no communication on the basis of Council Regulation No 595/91 of March 1991 concerning
irregularities and the recovery of sums wrongly paid in connection with the financing of the common
agricultural policy and the organization of an information system in this field and repealing Regulation
(EEC) No 283/72 (1) from the French authorities concerning these allegations.

(1) OJ L 67, 14.3.1991.

(2002/C 40 E/018)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1066/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(5 April 2001)

Subject: Origins of the Aventinus and Sensus projects

Aventinus and its successor, Sensus, have been subsidised by the Commission since 1996. The two
projects seek to develop an information exchange programme for European police and security services.
Aventinus (Advanced System for Multinational Drug Enforcement)
is concerned principally with the
international drugs trade. The Gesellschaft
f(cid:252)r Multilingual Systeme mbH of Munich, subsequently
Lernout & Haspie(cid:146)s (L & H) Sail Labs, coordinates the project. The Bundesnachrichtendienst and Europol(cid:146)s
predecessor, the European Drugs Unit, are also involved in Aventinus.

Sensus took over from the Aventinus project in May 1998. This time coordination is in the hands of the
German secret agent Stephan Bodenkamp/Christoph Kionowski of the Amt f(cid:252)r Auslandsfragen in Munich.
This organisation is a cover for the Bundesnachrichtendienst. On 25 May 1999 the Commission changed
the original decision E/1797/97 of 3 September 1997 in such a way that Europol could take part in the
project (E/696/99). In November 1999 Europol effectively joined the Sensus partners(cid:146) Gesellschaft f(cid:252)r
Multilingual Systeme mbH and the Italian firm Datamat. Stephan Bodenkamp/Christoph Kionowski is now
behind three of L & H(cid:146)s Language Development Companies. This gives him access to L & H(cid:146)s language
technology.

In reply to question P-0009/01 (1), Commissioner Erkki Liikanen said that Sensus and Aventinus I and II
had been financed from budget line B6-6121.113 of the Telematics applications programme (1994-1998).
A maximum contribution of € 2 500 000 was approved for Aventinus I, and of this € 2 341 190 was
applied for and paid. A maximum contribution of € 550 000 was approved for Aventinus II, of which his
€ 513 777 was applied for and paid. A maximum contribution of € 2 250 000 was approved for Sensus, of
which € 478 753 was paid on 31 December 2000.

On the basis of what decisions and/or published invitations to submit proposals was a satellite
1.
organisation of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (the Amt f(cid:252)r Auslandsfragen) able to take part in the Sensus
ands Aventinus projects even before the original decision E/1791/97 had been amended on 25 May 1999?

2. What
Aventinus and Sensus? Who makes use of these products

language technology projects have been completed and/or marketed since 1996 under

(1) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001, p. 154.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(1 August 2001)

AFA was part of a consortium which submitted a proposal under the 4th call of
Applications Programme of
Development of the Community (FP4).

the Telematics
the Fourth Framework Programme for Research and Technological

C 40 E/20

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.2.2002

All participants in the Sensus project are legal entities established in the Community, which could
therefore participate in RTD activities under FP4 with a financial contribution by the Community, in
conformity with the rules for participation.

Said rules for participation do not contain a list of legal entities which should be a priori excluded from
participating in Community funded RTD activities. Governmental bodies, including intelligence organi-
sations such as Amt f(cid:252)r Auslandsfragen (AfA), are therefore entitled to participate in RTD projects
provided their participation is justified by the technical objectives of such projects and complies with any
further requirement under the rules for participation and the specific programme concerned.

A further Commission decision was necessary for the inclusion of European Police Office (Europol)
because of its status as an international organisation (the Honourable Member is referred to the answer the
Commission gave to his written question E-892/01 (1)).

Project

Aventinus I

Aventinus II

Sensus

Programme

TAP Call

First Call, closing
15 March 1995

Relevant Commission
Decision(s)

E/1389/95
26 July 1995

Fourth Framework
Telematics Applications
Programme (TAP)

Fourth Framework
Telematics Applications
Programme (TAP)

Fourth Framework
Telematics Applications
Programme (TAP)

Fourth Call, closing
15 April 1997

E/1791/97
3 September 1997

Fourth Call, closing
15 April 1997

E/1791/97
3 September 1997
E/696/99
25 May 1999
(inclusion of Europol)

As these projects focused on pre-competitive research, no commercial
resulted to date, or were expected to result, from the Aventinus or Sensus projects.

language technology products

(1) See p. 17.

(2002/C 40 E/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1094/01

by Raimon Obiols i Germ(cid:224) (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Implementation of the MEDA programme

(6 April 2001)

The EU has adopted a new budget for the MEDA programme for the period 2000-2006.

In view of the circumstance that in the previous period 74 % of the MEDA budget was not implemented:

(cid:129) What action has the Commission taken, or what action does it intend to take, to ensure that such a

situation does not recur?

(cid:129) Does the Commission believe that there should be a realistic increase in staffing levels, both in
Brussels and in the Commission(cid:146)s delegations in the capitals of the Mediterranean countries, for the
purpose of encouraging and accelerating the application and implementation of
the MEDA
programmes?

(cid:129) Does the Commission believe that the procedures under the MEDA programmes should be simplified
and the standards and rhythms of the PHARE and TACIS programmes adopted as a minimum?

(cid:129) Does the Commission believe that a secondment scheme could be introduced for civil servants from
Mediterranean third countries who are responsible for preparing the MEDA programme dossiers, on
similar lines to the existing schemes for civil servants from the Member States?

(cid:129) Can the Commission confirm whether the number of staff allocated to managing the Euro-

Mediterranean partnership has been reduced over the last two years?