▁the ▁U . S . ▁Amb assador ▁to ▁Germany , ▁over ▁alleg ations ▁that ▁the ▁NS A ▁had ▁sp ied ▁on ▁institutions ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁Union . ▁ ▁Tow ards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁July , ▁the ▁media ▁reported ▁that ▁Germany ' s ▁foreign ▁intelligence ▁ag ency , ▁the ▁Bundes nach richt end ienst ▁( B ND ), ▁had ▁been ▁act ively ▁co oper ating ▁with ▁the ▁NS A , ▁which ▁spark ed ▁demonstr ations ▁in ▁ 4 0 ▁German ▁cities ▁involving ▁thousands ▁of ▁protest ers ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Germany ▁can ce led ▁largely ▁symbol ic ▁Cold ▁War - era ▁administrative ▁agre ements ▁with ▁Britain , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁France , ▁which ▁had ▁granted ▁the ▁Western ▁countries ▁which ▁had ▁troops ▁station ed ▁in ▁West ▁Germany ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁request ▁surve ill ance ▁operations ▁to ▁protect ▁those ▁forces . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁August , ▁under ▁the ▁orders ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁domestic ▁intelligence ▁ag ency , ▁a ▁federal ▁police ▁hel ic opter ▁conducted ▁a ▁low - alt itude ▁fly over ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Cons ulate ▁in ▁Frankfurt , ▁apparently ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁sus pected ▁c land est ine ▁e aves dro pping ▁facilities . ▁A ▁German ▁official ▁called ▁it ▁a ▁symbol ic ▁" shot ▁across ▁the ▁bow ." ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁EU ▁heads ▁of ▁state ▁met ▁to ▁discuss ▁a ▁proposed ▁data ▁protection ▁law . ▁The ▁represent atives ▁of ▁Italy , ▁Poland