The European Union has sought an immediate reply from the U.S. government following a report in a German magazine, Der Spiegel, that Washington is spying on the European Union, according to the Foreign Policy chief of the group, Catherine Ashton.
Der Spiegel, one of the leading magazines in Germany, reported that EU offices in Europe as well as in the U.S. were bugged.
"The European Union is aware of the press reports, alleging that EU premises have been under surveillance," said Ashton in a statement on Sunday.
"As soon as we saw these reports, the European External Action Service made contact with the US authorities in both Washington DC and Brussels to seek urgent clarification of the veracity of and facts surrounding these allegations," said Ashton.
"The US authorities have told us they are checking on the accuracy of the information released yesterday and will come back to us as soon as possible," said Ashton. "While this is clearly a matter for concern, we will make no further comments at this stage, until we have more clarity on the matter."
French, Greek and Italian embassies in the United States were also targeted by the government, according to leaked documents in possession of the Guardian newspaper.
The leaks are part of the U.S. surveillance programs exposed by the fugitive ex-CIA analyst Edward Snowden who was also a former National Security Agency contractor.
Snowden is currently believed to be marooned in legal limbo in Russia. The head of the Moscow government recently said that he was in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.
Snowden has not been spotted in public ever since his flight from Hong Kong following an arrest warrant issued by the Washington government on charges of espionage and theft of government property.
The American whistleblower has sought political asylum in Ecuador and is awaiting a positive response from the Ecuadorian government.
