France, Germany demand talks with US to settle spying rules
26 Oct 2013 12:11 AM GMT
France and Germany want sdropping on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile, the EU announced on Friday. talks to agree new rules for intelligence relations with the United States by the end of the year after US eave
The leaders of the 28-state European Union ‘took note of the intention of France and Germany to seek bilateral talks with the United States’ on what their secret services should and cannot do, EU president Herman Van Rompuy told a press conference after a first night of summit talks.
The demand from Berlin and Paris, on the back of anger in Brazil and Mexico at agents listening in on their leaders’ calls too, comes ‘with the aim of finding before the end of the year an understanding on mutual relations in that field’.
Van Rompuy said other countries could participate alongside Berlin and Paris should they wish, and underlined that British Prime Minister David Cameron ‘agreed with the text as it stands’.
He added: ‘Of course the UK has a special relationship ... but they are completely on board.’ Citing ‘deep concern among European citizens’ after fresh newspaper revelations in Britain claiming 35 international leaders had private calls monitored like Merkel, Van Rompuy said that intelligence-gathering remains a vital element in the fight against terrorism.
The leaders of the 28-state European Union ‘took note of the intention of France and Germany to seek bilateral talks with the United States’ on what their secret services should and cannot do, EU president Herman Van Rompuy told a press conference after a first night of summit talks.
The demand from Berlin and Paris, on the back of anger in Brazil and Mexico at agents listening in on their leaders’ calls too, comes ‘with the aim of finding before the end of the year an understanding on mutual relations in that field’.
Van Rompuy said other countries could participate alongside Berlin and Paris should they wish, and underlined that British Prime Minister David Cameron ‘agreed with the text as it stands’.
He added: ‘Of course the UK has a special relationship ... but they are completely on board.’ Citing ‘deep concern among European citizens’ after fresh newspaper revelations in Britain claiming 35 international leaders had private calls monitored like Merkel, Van Rompuy said that intelligence-gathering remains a vital element in the fight against terrorism.
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