France and Germany said that relation with the United States should be ‘re-established’ after damaging revelations that the United States tapped German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone and spied on other allies.

France and Germany said that relation with the United States should be ‘re-established’ after damaging revelations that the United States tapped German Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone and spied on other allies.

After a first day of EU summit talks, EU President Herman Van Rompuy told reporters that Paris and Berlin will "seek bilateral talks with the US" to reach an understanding by year's end on the conduct of intelligence gathering among allies.
Van Rompuy said other countries could join if they wished.

In a statement, the 28 EU leaders "underlined the close relationship between Europe and the USA and the value of that partnership."

This partnership "must be based on respect and trust, including as concerns the work and cooperation of secret services," the Europeans stressed.

Merkel had arrived at the two-day talks saying: "Spying between friends, that's just not done" after reports the US National Security Agency had tapped her calls.
"We need trust between partners and such trust needs to be re-established," she said.

The summit was meant to discuss boosting employment and the digital economy but was quickly overtaken by the growing scandal which has embroiled US President Barack Obama in embarrassing exchanges with key allies -- from France and Germany to Brazil and Mexico.

More could follow after a fresh slew of damaging revelations, with Britain's Guardian daily saying Washington had listened in on the phone conversations of 35 world leaders.