BREAKING NEWS

EU sending team to US to seek clarity on espionage claims

BRUSSELS - A delegation of lawmakers from the European Union will travel to Washington on Monday to seek a response to allegations of widespread spying by the United States against EU citizens and governments, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The three-day visit by members of the European Parliament's civil liberties committee follows reports this week that the US National Security Agency accessed tens of thousands of French phone records and monitored Merkel's mobile phone.
The revelations have drawn condemnation from EU leaders meeting in Brussels, with Merkel demanding that the United States sign up to a "no-spying" agreement with Germany and France by the end of the year, in line with similar deals with Britain and others.
The nine-member delegation will meet senior US government and intelligence officials and explore "possible legal remedies for EU citizens" resulting from the alleged surveillance, although it is not clear what such remedies might entail.