92002E1581

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1581/02

by Roger Helmer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 May 2002)

Subject: Creation of Euro-CIA

The UK Daily Telegraph (27 April 2002) reports the creation of a Euro-CIA security service.

Can you please tell me:

- Is this report substantially correct? If so, what is the treaty basis for the Euro-CIA? Is there any funding from the EU budget, and if so, under what budget line?

- In the UK, the security services are accountable to a committee of the House of Commons. What provision is there for parliamentary scrutiny of the Euro-CIA?

- By what name is this organisation to be known and what are its remit, its powers and objectives?

- Does it, or can it, clandestinely monitor electronic communications in the European institutions?

- According to the report, this project is paid for by Member States outside of the EU budget. Are there any other major EU projects funded off-budget by Member States in this way? If so, what are they, and what is their level of funding? Is this a device to enable the EU to breach the agreed 1,27 % GDP spending limit?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(25 June 2002)

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that the report to which he refers in his question is substantially incorrect.

The organization to which the article refers is the European Police Organization (Europol), established by the Europol Convention of 26 July 1995(1). This organization is not an EU project, it has been established by the Member States on the basis of an international convention.

According to Article 35(2) of the Convention the Europol budget is financed from contributions from the Member States.

Europol is competent to deal with all forms of serious international crime mentioned in the annex to the Europol Convention. The Europol Convention limits Europol's tasks basically to information exchange, crime analysis and coordination. On 26 February 2002 the Commission presented a Communication(2) on the democratic Control of Europol to the Parliament and to the Council. It describes in detail the competencies and tasks of Europol as well as the detailed control mechanisms which are in place. It also explains that existing controls may need to be strengthened if at some point in future Europol is to receive executive powers.

As a result of the events of 11 September 2001, the Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs, on 20 September 2001, decided to establish a special counter-terrorism Task Force at Europol to enhance the Union's effectiveness in the fight against terrorism. This Task Force exists since November 2001. It is composed of some thirty counter-terrorism experts from all fifteen Member States. Its main function is to improve the exchange of information and to prepare terrorist threat assessments.

Europol is not allowed, and does not, monitor electronic communications in the European institutions.

(1) OJ C 316, 27.11.1995.

(2) COM(2002) 95 final.