EU Vice-President to Claim US Uses Echelon to spy on European Business
Vice-President of the European Parliament, Gerhardt Schmid, is expected to argue that the Echelon system is used for industrial espionage next week. Dr Schmid compiled the European Parliament's report on Echelon, which is believed to intercept millions of telephone calls, faxes, e-mails and other electronic communications and pass confidential information to the US National Security Agency. Although the US Government has denied the existence of Echelon, it is known to be shared with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Britain. UK Government sources justify it as a means of gathering information on terrorist organisations and international drug cartels. But Dr Schmid is expected to argue that Echelon is also used by the United States Government to gather sensitive economic data from European countries, which is allegedly being passed on to benefit industrial rivals across the Atlantic.EU vice-president to claim US site spies on European business Yorkshire Post News, January 30, 2002
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