Brussels, 01/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - On 25 June, the EU Council of Ministers formally endorsed the directive on processing personal data and the protection of privacy in the telecoms sector, accepting all the compromise amendments voted in by the European Parliament in second reading (see Europe of 31 May, p.17). The document was adopted by qualified majority voting since Luxembourg voted against it, and is the final element of the process of reforming telecommunications regulations. The other elements (four directives and a decision) were adopted and published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 24 April 2002. In pique in a press release issued on 27 June, rapporteur Marco Cappato MEP (Lista Bonino, Italy) (see Europe of 31 May) regretted that the EU and the European Parliament had ignored opposition to the data retention measures expressed by some 17,000 citizens. He also announced that the Radical MEPs, transnational Radical party and Italian Radicals would be organising a conference on Democracy, Freedom and the internet at the European Parliament on 10 July (Information: +32 2 284 74 96).