EU passenger data proposals are necessary in the fight against terror
Brussels, 2nd February 2011
Proposals presented today by the European Commission for an EU Passenger Name Record (PNR) system are welcome, particularly given reports that Al Qaeda is attempting to stockpile 'dirty' radioactive explosives, Timothy Kirkhope MEP, European Conservatives and Reformists group justice and home affairs spokesman in the European Parliament, said today.
The PNR proposal would oblige air carriers to give EU governments data on passengers entering or leaving the EU. This would include itinerary, ticket information, means of payment and baggage information.
The proposed directive has significant protection clauses built in such as a strict purpose limitation to ensure the information is only used for fighting terrorism and serious crime, a requirement to make the data anonymous after one month, and sensitive data such as religious beliefs must never be transferred to governments by the airlines.
The EU is also currently negotiating a PNR agreement with the USA, Canada and Australia but already there are suggestions from the left-wing of the European Parliament that the talks to held to ransom, or subjected to the kind of interinstitutional wrangling within the EU that caused the EU's Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (the so-called SWIFT agreement) to be delayed, leaving a substantial Transatlantic data gap.
Wikileaks has today released information about attempts by terror organisations to acquire both uranium and plutonium.
Mr Kirkhope said:
"The EU needs its own PNR system, which will finally provide us with one of the key tools we need in the fight against terrorism.
"The European Parliament is right to insist that key liberties are protected but it must also act in a responsible manner given the threat that the EU faces. MEPs cannot use this issue to make a political point; the stakes are far too high. This EU-wide PNR system has clearly been carefully designed to prevent profiling and to ensure innocent passengers face no inconvenience or threat to the integrity of their personal data.
"Having our own PNR system means that we must no longer to rely on other countries to provide us with intelligence on potential terror suspects or organised criminals. We are failing to live up to our responsibilities as the USA's primary partner in this fight, because we constantly rely on them for information.
"Every day we face a renewed threat, not a diminishing one, so it is more important than ever that the EU is focused on the role that it can play to combat terrorism. I hope that this proposal will soon be followed-up with the promised proposal for an EU Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme also."
ENDS
