Brussels, 12/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 12 December, the main political groups of the committee of inquiry on surveillance by the US National Security Agency (NSA) gave their go-ahead to the hearing in coming weeks of Edward Snowden, who was at the origin of the American listening-in scandal. The conference of the presidents of the EP groups had been convened on Thursday morning to settle the matter but preferred, without stating opposition, to refer the issue back to the civil liberties committee within which the rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs decided to organise the hearing in question. Details have still to be decided. Although it is currently a matter of the former consultant, who has taken refuge in Russia, being quizzed by recorded video on questions that the MEPs send to him in writing beforehand, some voices, mainly within the EPP Group, have been raised in favour of an “interactive” hearing, a “live” hearing in this case, one source states. This will be impossible given the particular situation of the person in question. The method put forward by the rapporteur, Claude Moraes (S&D, UK), should therefore be adopted. The ECR Group is fiercely opposed to this “hearing”, and its leader, Timothy Kirkhope, has said it will be biased and not allow member states brought into question to defend themselves. In a press release, Kirkhope described Edward Snowden's intervention as provocation. The rapporteur promised questions would be “impartial and rigorous”, a press release states. The exact date of the hearing has not yet been fixed. The committee will vote on its report at the end of January and the aim is to hear Edward Snowden before the vote. (SP/transl.jl)