Members of the European Parliament Thursday voted to launch an in-depth inquiry into the alleged U.S. Surveillance program of spying upon its officials in the United States and Europe.
Raising serious concerns over reports of the security agency's bugging of European buildings and monitoring millions of phone calls and movements of the people, the European group urged the Washington government to disclose full information about these allegations.
The Parliament said if the Washington government refused to disclose the full surveillance programs, the European Commission, the EU Council and member states should suspend the current air passenger and bank data deals with the U.S. government.
The results of the in-depth inquiry will be presented by the end of this year, according to the resolution passed at the Parliament's plenary session in France.
Following the reports of espionage, the European group earlier sought a reply from the U.S. government.
The White House released a statement Wednesday, hours after a phone conversation between President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Markel saying that the president assured the German chancellor that his administration had taken serious note of the concerns of the European Union over the U.S. surveillance programs.
