Belgium to investigate into suspected German intelligence service spying

The Belgian postal institute has been told to open an investigation into reports that the German intelligence service (BND) stored internet data from various European countries, particularly Belgium, for several years, RTBF reported on Friday.

Belgian Telecommunications Minister, Alexander De Croo, has instructed the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) to start the proceedings.

"If it appears that the reports of widespread eavesdropping practices on the part of German services were correct, Germany will in turn provide explanations," the minister said in a statement.

There has been a month of revelations about suspected spying on European companies by the BND uncovered by the American National Security Agency (NSA), which has put the German authorities in a quandary, leading Angela Merkel's government to acknowledge the "technical and organizational deficits within the BND."

Belgian Minister of Justice, Koen Geens, said Belgian security services were looking into "whether, and if so, to what extent" Belgium had actually been the victim of supposed espionage. He added that appropriate measures would be taken on the basis of those results.