In a thinly veiled warning to Mr. Holder about the trade pact, Ms. Reding said relations between the United States and Europe could be undermined by concerns about privacy, which many in Europe regard as an inviolable right.
In her letter, Mrs. Reding said she “is accountable before the European Parliament, which is likely to assess the overall trans-Atlantic relationship also in the light of your responses.”
In nine detailed questions, Ms. Reding asked Mr. Holder how much data-sifting the United States is conducting, whether those activities target individuals, and whether the surveillance involves issues beyond national security.
Mrs. Reding also pushed Mr. Holder to tell her “what avenues” are available to citizens of countries in the European Union to obtain information about whether their personal information has been examined under the Prism program and other programs, and whether Europeans have similar access to that information as Americans.