Hollande urges common European stance on US spying

PARIS - French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday pointed to the necessity to forge a common European position to answer US spying allegations.

In a joint press meeting with Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite, Hollande said "it is necessary for Europe to have a coordinated, common position against the requirements that we have to make, the explanations we have to ask."

On Monday, French head of state said Paris and the European Union (EU) would need guarantees on the spying issue before going ahead with talks and transactions with the United States.

Based on reports provided by Edward Snowden, a former American spy agency contractor, German magazine Der Spiegel on Saturday reported on its website that the US National Security Agency had tapped EU offices and gained access to EU internal computer networks.

The 30-year-old man, who faces espionage charges in the United States, was applying for political asylum in 21 countries including France, according to WikiLeaks report.

"We have not yet received a specific request Mr Snowden," said Hollande.