▁from ▁European ▁officials ▁before ▁comp lying ▁with ▁United ▁States ▁war r ants ▁seeking ▁private ▁data . ▁The ▁legisl ation ▁has ▁been ▁under ▁consideration ▁for ▁two ▁years . ▁The ▁vote ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁efforts ▁in ▁Europe ▁to ▁shield ▁citizens ▁from ▁online ▁surve ill ance ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁revel ations ▁about ▁a ▁far - re aching ▁sp ying ▁program ▁by ▁NS A . ▁ ▁The ▁European ▁Council ▁meeting ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁in ▁its ▁statement ▁signed ▁by ▁all ▁ 2 8 ▁EU ▁leaders ▁while ▁stress ing ▁that ▁" int elligence ▁gather ing ▁is ▁a ▁vital ▁element ▁in ▁the ▁fight ▁against ▁terror ism " ▁and ▁not ing ▁" the ▁close ▁relationship ▁between ▁Europe ▁and ▁the ▁USA ▁and ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁that ▁partners hip ", ▁said ▁that ▁this ▁must ▁" be ▁based ▁on ▁respect ▁and ▁trust ," ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁which ▁" could ▁pre jud ice ▁the ▁necessary ▁co operation ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁intelligence ▁gather ing ". ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁the ▁European ▁Parliament ▁released ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁its ▁inqu iry ▁into ▁the ▁NS A ▁activities . ▁" The ▁European ▁Parliament ' s ▁committee ▁inqu iry ▁into ▁the ▁sp ying ▁sc andal ," ▁Deutsche ▁W elle ▁reported , ▁" was ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁this ▁scale . ▁No ▁individual ▁EU ▁country ▁has ▁looked ▁into ▁the ▁sc andal ▁this ▁thoroughly ▁and ▁no ▁EU ▁government ▁has ▁been ▁as ▁explicit ▁in ▁its ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁government ." ▁The ▁draft ▁report ▁covered ▁the