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| Hollande: Bugging allegations threaten EU-US trade pact | Hollande: Bugging allegations threaten EU-US trade pact |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| French President Francois Hollande has said allegations that the US bugged European embassies could threaten a huge planned trade deal. | French President Francois Hollande has said allegations that the US bugged European embassies could threaten a huge planned trade deal. |
| Negotiations over the EU-US pact, the biggest bilateral deal ever negotiated, are due to start on 8 July. | Negotiations over the EU-US pact, the biggest bilateral deal ever negotiated, are due to start on 8 July. |
| Mr Hollande said there could be no negotiations without guarantees that spying would stop "immediately". | |
| US Secretary of State John Kerry said earlier that activities to protect national security were "not unusual". | US Secretary of State John Kerry said earlier that activities to protect national security were "not unusual". |
| He told journalists that he did not know the truth of the allegations, but that he had been asked about them by the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and would report back to her. | |
| The allegations, published at the weekend by Der Spiegel in Germany and the Guardian in Britain, have angered many in Europe. | |
| The European Commission called it "disturbing news if proven true" and said it expected "clarity and transparency" about the issue from Washington. | |
| 'Must stop' | |
| France only cleared the way for the EU-US trade pact talks in mid-June, after EU members accepted its demand to shield movies and online entertainment from the might of Hollywood and Silicon Valley. | |
| But next week's first round of negotiations in Washington DC could now be delayed. | |
| France's President Hollande said the US must first guarantee it had ended its surveillance of the EU. | |
| "We cannot accept this kind of behaviour between partners and allies. We ask that this immediately stop," he told journalists during a visit to western France. | |
| "There can be no negotiations or transactions in all areas until we have obtained these guarantees, for France but also for all of the European Union, for all partners of the United States." | |
| German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, earlier said "bugging friends is unacceptable... we are no longer in the Cold War". | |
| He added that Germany wanted the deal to go ahead but "mutual trust is necessary in order to come to an agreement". | He added that Germany wanted the deal to go ahead but "mutual trust is necessary in order to come to an agreement". |
| Italy's Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said Rome had requested from Washington "clarification of a very thorny affair". | |
| John Kerry sought to down play the issue when he arrived in Brunei for an Asian security conference. | |
| "Every country in the world that is engaged in international affairs of national security undertakes lots of activities to protect its national security and all kinds of information contributes to that," he said at a news conference. | |
| "And all I know is that is not unusual for lots of nations. But beyond that I'm not going to comment any further until I have all the facts and find out precisely what the situation is." | |
| 'Should be protected' | |
| The allegations of US security services bugging EU missions and the embassies of friendly European countries - including the French, Italian and Greek embassies - come from documents apparently leaked by an ex-CIA analyst. | The allegations of US security services bugging EU missions and the embassies of friendly European countries - including the French, Italian and Greek embassies - come from documents apparently leaked by an ex-CIA analyst. |
| Edward Snowden has been charged in the US with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence. | Edward Snowden has been charged in the US with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence. |
| He is believed to be at an airport in Moscow, and is seeking a destination safe from prosecution by the US authorities. | He is believed to be at an airport in Moscow, and is seeking a destination safe from prosecution by the US authorities. |
| Green parties in France and Germany have called on their governments to offer Mr Snowden asylum. | Green parties in France and Germany have called on their governments to offer Mr Snowden asylum. |
| "Someone like that should be protected," said Juergen Trittin, leader of Germany's Greens. | "Someone like that should be protected," said Juergen Trittin, leader of Germany's Greens. |
| "He should get safe haven here in Europe because he has done us a service by revealing a massive attack on European citizens and companies. Germany, as part of Europe, could do that." | "He should get safe haven here in Europe because he has done us a service by revealing a massive attack on European citizens and companies. Germany, as part of Europe, could do that." |
| Green Party leaders have also called for existing US-EU agreements on the exchange of bank transfer and passenger record information to be cancelled. | Green Party leaders have also called for existing US-EU agreements on the exchange of bank transfer and passenger record information to be cancelled. |