Data protection and democracy sacrificed for PNR agreement

1.53.37pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 6th Oct 2006

Commenting on the announcement that negotiations have been completed on a EU-US agreement on the transfer of passenger name record (PNR) data by European airlines to the US administration, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Liberal Democrat European Justice Spokeswoman, said:

"While no-one wants chaos in transatlantic flights, MEPs' concern about breach of EU privacy laws can only be heightened by reports that the US has demanded a further dilution of data protection, when the European Parliament already criticised the previous agreement as extremely weak in safeguards, including the non-binding nature of US commitments."

"Negotiated behind closed doors with both Euro- and national MPs excluded, this agreement clearly lacks democratic legitimacy. MPs will be asked to ratify it on a take-it or leave-it basis only. There has to be a better way to get international agreement on fighting the threat of terrorism."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The EU-US PNR agreement expired on 1st October after being ruled illegal by the European Court of Justice in May this year.

PNR data involves the transfer of 34 pieces of data ranging from credit card information, billing address and contact phone numbers to our travel history, meal and room preferences. The aim of this appears to be not targeted identification of suspects but fishing expeditions based on 'profiling' of what kind of behaviour or characteristics terrorists might exhibit. It raises all sorts of civil liberties dangers, from race and religious discrimination to misidentification and tarring by association, with nightmare consequences for travellers in the future.