EU proposes new airline data deal with US

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission proposed on
Monday re-opening talks with the United States on a new
agreement to provide U.S. authorities with advance information
on air passengers headed to their airports.

The proposed agreement to supply the names, addresses,
payment details and telephone numbers of passengers will
replace one struck down by the European Court of Justice last
month.

The United States says such a pact is essential to
Washington’s war on terrorism in the wake of the September 11,
2001 suicide hijack attacks which killed about 3,000 people.

“The European Commission adopted two initiatives to put a
legally sound framework in place for the transfer of PNR
(passenger name records) data to the United States,” the
Commission said in a statement.

“These initiatives are the first European answers to
correct the legal basis for the agreement with the U.S. that
was struck down by the European Court of Justice on May 30,
2006,” the Commission said.

The first initiative would terminate the existing, illegal
agreement by month’s end, but delay the effect. The second
would authorise opening talks with the United States.

A Commission spokesman said the EU executive hoped to have
the new agreement in place by October 1.