To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the proposed agreement on the remote approach to satellite network interceptions at the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council of 12 March; which country objected; on what grounds; and what is the Government's policy on this issue. [79490]

The remote access approach would enable member states to maintain an interception capability against serious criminals using satellite telephones on their territory. There would be no need to seek the technical assistance of the member state with the ground station in individual cases.Italy, which hosts the first satellite ground station in the European Union, took the view at the Council that the member state with the satellite ground station should be given a guarantee that the intercepting member state would protect its constitutional principles and national security when using the remote access approach.The Government share the view of other member states that there is no substantive role for the member state with the ground station in the remote access approach. The Government have explained their position to the European Scrutiny Committees in their Explanatory Memorandum of 3 March 1999 on Council document 6195–99. A copy is in the Library.