Belgium "in September 110 national police officers raided Church of Scientology facilities and the homes and businesses of about 20 members of the Church. One member's home in France was raided simultaneously by the French authorities. At year's end, an investigation continued"
Finland: In December1998, the Ministry of Education turned down the application of the Finnish Association of Scientologists to be registered as a religiouscommunity.
France: "The Commission's report identified 173 groups as sects, including Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of Scientology. ".."The Government currently does not recognize Jehovah's Witnessesor the Church of Scientology as qualifying religious associations for tax purposes, and therefore subjects them to a 60 percent tax on all funds they receive."
Germany: "The Church of Scientology remained under scrutiny by both federal and state officials who contend that it is not a religion but an economic enterprise. "
"In August the city of Munich revoked the nonprofit status of the local Scientology organization. In June the Munich administrative court rejected an appeal by the Church of Scientology and upheld the November1995 decision by the city of Munich to deprive the Scientology-affiliated Celebrity Center Munich of its status as a non profit organization. The city had argued that the center allegedly was brainwashing and financially exploiting its members."
"during a March meeting with a lawyer representing the Church of Scientology and members of the working group on Scientology in the Hamburg interiorministry, Hamburg state officials expressed their belief that the Church is a criminal organization with a totalitarian ideology"
".., it called upon the Government to introduce legislation for consumer protection inthe "psycho-market" and highlighted the need for the Government to inform the public about dangers to health and property posed by psycho-cults and groups. Particular emphasis was placed on Scientology because it allegedly pursued policies of "misinformation and intimidation" of its critics, according to the report."
"... The Bavarian interior ministry provides twobrochures, released in 1998, warning against the Church of Scientology. "The Scientology System" and "Scientology: An Anti-Constitutional Movement" warned about alleged hard-sell methods by theChurch and asserted that Scientology was striving for world power."
"..The Hamburg OPC published "The Intelligence Service of the Scientology Organization,"which outlines its claim that Scientology tried to infiltrate governments, offices, and companies, and that the Church spies on itsopponents, defames them, and "destroys" them. "
OPC= Office for Protection of the Constitution
Greece "According to the president of the [Center for Applied Psychology ] KEFE, the group chose to register as a philosophical organization because legal counsel advised that the Government would not recognize Scientology as a religion. "
Italy: "TheCourt of Cassation found further that the issue of whether Scientology constitutes a religion must be readdressed by another court of appeal, in accordance with criteria established by the Constitutional Court."
Russia: "The Moscow procurator general and approximately 70 members of the FSB, Federal Tax Police, and local police raided two locations of the Church of Scientology in Moscow on February 25. According to church officials,the authorities confiscated documents, including tax records and priest-penitent privileged counseling records. The raids continued over 3days. The tax police say that they are investigating possible tax evasion and other financial irregularities. "
"On October 6, a Moscow district court revoked the operating license of a social center affiliated with the Church of Scientology because mistakes were made allegedly in the center's license application materials in 1993."
Switzerland: A Swiss Governemnt ....", report stated that Scientology had characteristics of a totalitarian organization and had its own intelligence network. The commission also warned of the significant financial burden imposed on Scientology members and recommended reexamining the issue at a later date.