Key US-EU trade pact under threat after more NSA spying allegations

[Catherina]

Source: The Guardian

Key US-EU trade pact under threat after more NSA spying allegations

Reports in Der Spiegel that US agencies bugged European council building 'reminiscent of cold war', says German minister

Ian Traynor in Brussels, Louise Osborne in Berlin and Jamie Doward
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 30 June 2013 13.39 BST


The Justus Lipsius building in Brussels, home of the EU council – and subject to a US survellance programme, according to documents seen by Der Spiegel. Photograph: Don McPhee for the Guardian

The prospects for a new trade pact between the US and the European Union worth hundreds of billions have suffered a severe setback following allegations that Washington bugged key EU offices and intercepted phonecalls and emails from top officials.

...

A spokesman for the European commission said: "We have immediately been in contact with the US authorities in Washington and in Brussels and have confronted them with the press reports. They have told us they are checking on the accuracy of the information released yesterday and will come back to us."

There were calls from MEPs for Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European council – who has his office in the building allegedly targeted by the US – and José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European commission, to urgently appear before the chamber to explain what steps they were taking in response to the growing body of evidence of US and British electronic surveillance of Europe through the Prism and Tempora operations.

...

There were also calls for John Kerry, the US secretary of state, to make a detour to Brussels on his way from his current trip to the Middle East, to explain US activities.

...


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/30/nsa-spying-europe-claims-us-eu-trade

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I propose we send Susan Rice instead since she thinks "the diplomatic consequences of NSA leaks are not that significant"

[Savannahmann]

1. I like that line.

A spokesman for the European commission said: "We have immediately been in contact with the US authorities in Washington and in Brussels and have confronted them with the press reports. They have told us they are checking on the accuracy of the information released yesterday and will come back to us."

Checking the accuracy? What they can't check the tapes?

[Catherina]

2. +1. They'll get back to them with more weasel phrasing like Holder did the first time

then another set of slides will be released, rinse, lather, repeat. "checking on the accuracy of the information released" lol

[HooptieWagon]

3. Translation: They have to check in with WH for new lies.

[Catherina]

6. I can't even imagine what kind of a response we're going to try to float this time

How do you explain such a thing?

[HooptieWagon]

7. Maybe they'll accuse the EU of being racists and libertarians.

It seems to be the popular m.o. for trying to defend the indefensible.

[Ash_F]

4. Wait what? Consequences? For America?

Don't they know we don't do consequences!?

What's happening?!

argle...bargle....

[Catherina]

5. Can you imagine being Edward Snowden right now?

I pray they never ever find him because the 1% does not forgive.

[quadrature]

8. what does the EU need/buy from the US...anything? .nt

nt

[OnyxCollie]

9. Financial products.

We fucked 'em over on those, too.

[fujiyama]

10. Germany actually has an operational industrial base

and makes quality goods. We've stripped away ours and outsourced it. Meanwhile they also work hard, have good benefits (including exceptional vacation time), and have a decent safety net.

I'd be pissed if I were European. I know I'm pissed as an American over this. I have also learned a lot about rank hypocrisy among supposed liberals and Democrats. I now see it's just a stupid partisan game. Team Red vs. Team Blue!

[quadrature]

12. the Germans should have suspected spying by NSA

if they didn't,
they are not very bright

[CBHagman]

15. Only hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of goods.

We have an imbalance, importing more from them, and moreover there's the issue of tariffs to consider, but on the whole we're very dependent upon each other.

[url]http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/13/business/global/us-and-europe-seek-backing-for-landmark-trade-pact.html?_r=0[/url]

Between them, the United States and Europe already account for about half of global economic output and one-third of world trade. Bilateral trade in 2011 amounted to €455 billion, or about $593 billion, with a positive balance for the Union of more than €72 billion, according to Mr. De Gucht’s office. The United States is the bloc’s main export market, buying €264 billion of goods, or about 17 percent of total E.U. exports, according to his office.

[dipsydoodle]

16. So the US would get Audi's, VWs and BMWs etc cheaper

and Europe still wouldn't buy US cars, other than Jeep which is Fiat anyway, which are largely seen to be designed in bad taste. Sounds fair to me when I look at that way.

[starroute]

11. Is this the trade pact that's the counterpart of the Trans-Pacific Partnership?

If it is, let it die and good riddance to it.

[temmer]

13. EU commissioner Viviane Reding makes a good point

She said knowing that they are spied on everywhere it makes no sense for the Europeans to negotiate on the trade pact.

And this is what makes the EU furious - because this spying is definitely not about terrorism, but a case of economic espionage.

[sikofit3]

17. Exactly!

I can't stand it when people say "but this is nothing new everyone has always been spying on everyone" however, this seems to be WAY beyond the normal spying that any of these countries do, besides apparently the UK, and has gone to the general population when before I am sure it was just diplomats etc... this is a whole new territory and I don't think things will ever be the same.

[dipsydoodle]

14. New NSA leaks show how US is bugging its European allies

US intelligence services are spying on the European Union mission in New York and its embassy in Washington, according to the latest top secret US National Security Agency documents leaked by the whistleblower Edward Snowden.

One document lists 38 embassies and missions, describing them as "targets". It details an extraordinary range of spying methods used against each target, from bugs implanted in electronic communications gear to taps into cables to the collection of transmissions with specialised antennae.

Along with traditional ideological adversaries and sensitive Middle Eastern countries, the list of targets includes the EU missions and the French, Italian and Greek embassies, as well as a number of other American allies, including Japan, Mexico, South Korea, India and Turkey. The list in the September 2010 document does not mention the UK, Germany or other western European states.

One of the bugging methods mentioned is codenamed Dropmire, which, according to a 2007 document, is "implanted on the Cryptofax at the EU embassy, DC" – an apparent reference to a bug placed in a commercially available encrypted fax machine used at the mission. The NSA documents note the machine is used to send cables back to foreign affairs ministries in European capitals.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/30/nsa-leaks-us-bugging-european-allies

We've got quite enough rice here as it is - prawn fried, egg fried................... and at least none of those leave a bad taste in your mouth.