“France and Germany have backed down on threats to suspend US trade talks, after the US offered to set up more ‘working groups’ on data protection. EU leaders meeting in Berlin on Wednesday (3 July) for a summit on youth unemployment said the US trade negotiations will start next week as planned. French President Francois Hollande’s spokesman had said on Wednesday morning the talks should be put on hold until the US fully clarifies if it is snooping on EU citizens and bugging EU offices in Brussels, New York and Washington. But on Wednesday evening Hollande said the US offer on extra working groups is good enough.”
