FITUG e.V. Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft

EU COMMISSION DENIES CONTACTS WITH U.S. INTELLIGENCE BOD

------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Theodor.Schlickmann@cec.eu.int To: ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk Subject: EU COMMISSION DENIES CONTACTS WITH U.S. INTELLIGENCE BODY Date sent: Thu, 8 Mar 2001 11:01:07 +0100 Send reply to: ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk

FYI The EU Commission explained on Tuesday remarks by an employee which fuelled fears that a U.S. intelligence agency had gained access to the EU's security codes. The employee, Briton Desmond Perkins, told a committee of the EU Parliament (Echelon Committee <http://www.europarl.eu.int/committees/echelon_home.htm>) last month that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had regularly but unsuccessfully tried to crack the Commission's encryption system. Perkins said he knew of the NSA interest because he had relatives working in that organisation, raising suspicions that he might, wittingly or not, have imparted information which could help U.S. firms to beat European rivals for contracts. "The suggestion that U.S. agencies control or have access to EU codes is complete rubbish, and simply not true, though it may make exciting news headlines" Lodewijk Briet, a senior Commission official, told the parliamentary committee. "There is and has been no contact between the NSA and the European Commission" said Briet, adding that Perkins was an "honest man" and no spy. SECURITY NOT BREACHED Briet told the deputies Perkins had had one relative working in the NSA who was now retired. He said Perkins' claims of "good contacts" with the NSA did not mean security had been breached. He said Perkins' statement that the NSA "regularly check our systems" was based on an incident nearly 10 years ago when the system manufacturer, German computer giant Siemens, had informed the Commission of U.S interest. Briet added that the NSA tried to intercept all foreign communications including those of the Commission's missions around the world, but that this did not mean it was able to decode them. The Commission's system conformed to NATO standards and was similar to those used by some EU member states, Briet said. But he added the EU would shortly approve tighter security rules, partly in response to a much more competitive global environment and also to mirror the EU's growing responsibilities in the areas of foreign policy and defence. Some MEPs said Perkins, a veteran employee of the Brussels-based executive Commission, should be sacked for giving misleading information.

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