COUNCIL OF MINISTERS: ILLEGAL PHONE-TAPS DISCOVERED IN SIX DELEGATIONS' OFFICES.

Six delegations to the EU Council of Ministers have had their phones illegally tapped, official Council sources confirmed on March 19. France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain and Austria are the delegations affected. The phone-tapping system was uncovered on February 28, when the Council Secretariat informed the delegations concerned. The Greek Foreign Affairs Minister, Giorgios Papandreou, was informed "of the situation on the morning of March 19". He "condemned these illegal phone-taps" but said he was amazed that such practices could take place as, he said, the Council was a "totally transparent" institution. The Council nevertheless supposes that the tapping devices discovered were installed with malicious intent.

An internal inquiry, in co-operation with the Member States concerned and...