In this paper we present results from the Galileo plasma wave instrument during the first two flybys of Europa, which occurred on December 19, 1996, and February 20, 1997. Strong whistler-mode noise was observed in the vicinity of Europa during both flybys. Emission at the upper hybrid resonance frequency, fUH, and a propagation cutoff at the local electron plasma frequency, fpe, provided measurements of the local electron number density. The electron density measurements show a region of highly disturbed plasma in the vicinity of Europa with density enhancements ranging from about 30 to 100 cm-3 above the ambient Jovian magnetospheric background, which in both cases was about 80 cm-3. ¿ 1998 American Geophysical Union