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Parliamentary question - E-004350/2014Parliamentary question
E-004350/2014

European Cloud Strategy

Question for written answer E-004350-14
to the Commission
Rule 117
Judith Sargentini (Verts/ALE)

1. Has the Commission heard about the US Patriot Act and FISA, and is it aware of their implications for working with IT companies from the USA?

2. Is the Commission aware of the European Parliament’s report on the revelations by the whistle-blower Edward Snowden, who reported in detail on the practices of the US intelligence services? Is the Commission aware of NSA programmes which have the purpose of gaining access by stealth, on a massive scale, to data which cloud computing firms store as a service to customers?

3. Does the Commission recognise that, if American software suppliers are used, there is an extra-large risk that the software may contain built-in loopholes to enable the US intelligence services to access it? How does the Commission reconcile its choice of Hewlett Packard with the statement by Commissioner Neelie Kroes in de Telegraaf of 24 September 2013 that Europe needs its own cloud infrastructure in order to be able to store the data of European citizens, businesses and authorities securely[1]?

4. Exactly what steps has the Commission so far taken in order to encourage the development of a separate, European cloud industry in response to Parliament’s report on the cloud strategy proposed by the Commission[2]? Can the Commission provide an overview of its investments and subsidies to European, American and other businesses for the development of cloud computing services in the past five years?

OJ C 377, 23/10/2014