Air passengers to face EU anti-terror screening

In a bid to step up the fight against terrorism, airlines flying to the EU could be obliged to share private data on their passengers, such as passport numbers and credit card details, with Europe’s secret services, Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini has announced.

The move, announced on 3 July 2007, would mirror the US Passenger Name Record system (PNR), in force since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which demands that details of all passengers flying to America be passed on to the Department of Homeland Security before take-off (EURACTIV 29/06/07). 

It is yet unclear how much information the Commission will be requesting, how long the information will be kept by secret services and whether the scheme would apply also to intra-European flights. These details are due to be revealed in October, when the Commission presents a full package of counter-terrorism proposals. 

The announcement comes just days after the failed car bomb attacks in London and at Glasgow Airport in the UK (EURACTIV 2/07/07), and Frattini underscored his belief that the level of terrorist treat to Europe fully justifies the creation of a European PNR. 

However, data-protection practitioners, legal experts and human-rights groups may oppose the move. They have already raised strong concerns about the EU-US deal, struck last week after months of negotiations, which will oblige all European air carriers to transfer 19 pieces of personal data regarding their transatlantic passengers to US security agencies. US authorities will then be entitled to keep this information for up to 15 years – a measure that European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx says is in breach of fundamental rights (EURACTIV 28/03/07). 

Frattini on the other hand insists the EU-US agreement is in full respect of European citizens’ right to privacy. 

He also wants the European PNR scheme to become binding for all EU countries, arguing that, with the Schengen system for free movement within the EU’s borders, any country that refuses to adopt the system “could become the front door for dangerous people”. “The best approach would be for each member state to have a national passenger name records system,” he said. 

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