Brussels, 09/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - As we mentioned (see EUROPE of 6 July, p.14), the European Parliament's temporary Committee adopted the report by German Social-Democrat Gerhard Schmid on the Echelon global interception system. Other than the Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL, the Italian Radicals member of the Bonino list, presented a minority position. In a press release, Maurizio Turco refers to a "report of amnesia, uncertainties and deceit" and states that the members of the Committee preferred to ignore the role played in the Echelon system by the United Kingdom, as well as the Netherlands and Germany, to avoid calling for sanctions against these Member States. In its minority opinion it calls for a strengthening of jurisdictional and parliamentary control over interception activities in view of better protecting private life and business activities as well as the adoption of higher standards, based on the European Human Rights Convention.