Brussels, 17/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 24 March, the European Commission will request a new negotiating mandate to begin talks with the United States on a long-term agreement on the transfer of banking information as part of the fight against terrorism, generally better known as the Swift agreement. The European Union was waiting for Washington to show willing on new negotiations (see EUROPE 10086). The United States having signalled at the highest level that it wanted to negotiate an agreement with the EU, Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström will, on Wednesday, propose the adoption of negotiating directives to the College of Commissioners. It will then be for the EU Council, which will decide on the content of the mandate by qualified majority, to give the go-ahead for talks with Washington. The European Parliament, which threw out a temporary agreement will have to be closely involved throughout the whole process leading to an agreement. Most of the requests made by MEPs will also have to be included in the Commission's draft mandate, for example, on data protection, length of time information can be stored and sharing information with third countries. Malmström will lead the negotiations, but Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding will be involved in consultations given the points related to data protection. The sensitive issue of legal mutual assistance, on which the previous agreement was based, but which does not work in practice, is to be discussed between the two. The Council of the EU hopes to adopt the negotiating mandate very soon, probably at the start of June. (B.C./transl.rt)