WRITTEN QUESTION No. 354/98 by Georg JARZEMBOWSKI to the Commission. Secret service activities inside the Union
C 386/12 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 11. 12. 98 Member States are free to use any type of environmental taxes or charges, and set whichever rates, provided they respect the Community legal framework. The Member States normally take competitiveness aspects into account when implementing new environmental taxes or charges. If the Member States so wish, they can use the revenues from environmental taxes to reduce other taxes, such as taxes on labour. Such an approach, so called green tax reform, has been recommended by the Commission in other documents such as the white paper on growth, competitiveness and employment (1) and the proposal for the taxation of energy products (2). (1) COM(93) 700 final. (2) OJ C 139, 6. 4. 1997. (98/C 386/015) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0354/98 by Georg Jarzembowski (PPE) to the Commission (6 February 1998) Subject: Secret service activities inside the Union According to reliable news reports, both the Commission and the European Parliament are the targets of secret service operations by the US National Security Agency, which has official electronic eavesdropping facilities in several EU Member States, for example in Bad Aibling in Germany. It appears that one aim of these activities is to discover the Unionís negotiating position in advance of world trade talks. This being so: 1. Does the Commission agree that such activities should not be tolerated, even if they are carried out by states which the EU regards as partners? 2. Is the Commission aware of intelligence operations of this kind? If so, what countermeasures has it taken? If not, does it consider that any action is required? Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (12 March 1998) The Commission is aware of the existence of the United States base referred to, but has no knowledge of its 1. activities. They fall outside its competence as defined by the Treaty on European Union. No. However as far as the protection of Community interests against unwarranted risks, whatever their 2. origin, is concerned, the Commission remains vigilant and takes the appropriate security measures. (98/C 386/016) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0367/98 by Stefano De Luca (ELDR) to the Commission (24 February 1998) Subject: Free competition and market rules in the Italian civil aviation sector The airline Alitalia enjoys rather unusual conditions in the Italian aviation sector. The Italian airline has financial assets in excess of 3 000 billion lire, including state aids, changes of flag completed or pending, and financial benefits deriving from management reorganization involving capitalization of labour costs through the distribution of around 20 % of share capital to employees