I totally agree about Echelon, serves for spying no matter who and what for. As for policial activities, I think the mentioned problem must have a political solution, such as in Jugoslavia or Ireland.

I read in the economic press the case you refer, though I am not pretty sure about the name of the firms.

I sincerely don't believe that the fact that some counties' presidents are friends (in case it is not a media "pose") can change relations that are stated on profit/losses of big firms, votes from farmers (banana problem), car factories' workers (Daimler-Chrysler) or so on. These are not spanish problems, but I am using them as examples of the lobbys involved.

As for the tomato trucks, french shouldn't do it, for they government agreed to the EC pact, but south and central americans should, since our out-borders superprotective agricultural policy is preventing them from being able to compete, while they have to open borders to manufactured items to maintain their tech and comfort level (like cars, except may be for Brazil).