German policymakers have approved a bill that allows the
country's foreign intelligence agency to spy on European Union institutions and
fellow EU member states.
The legislation is part of a range of measures meant to
improve oversight of espionage after the revelations by former US National
Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
A panel of independent judges will have to be informed when
the BND spy agency eavesdrops on Germany's allies. Judges will also have the
right to make spot checks of the agency's work.
Parliament's intelligence oversight powers will also be increased
and intelligence chiefs will have to attend a public hearing every year.
Critics say that instead of clamping down on questionable
BND activities the law will merely legalise them.
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