Brussels, 20/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament civil liberties committee (LIBE) held a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday 20 September with US Attorney General Eric Holder. The purpose was to exchange views on EU-US anti-terrorism and international crime treaties. Holder's speech and MEPs' questions focused on PNR (Passenger Name Record) agreements.
The PNR system records key personal data of air passengers. PNR agreements, bilateral or multilateral, are used to transfer these passenger data rapidly to the authorities of the country of destination before the plane lands. The agreements have long been a source of discord between the EU and the United States because of European fears over the use to which the data might be put once transferred to the US.
After highlighting the successes of other EU-US agreements on tackling terrorism and crime, Holder said that, with regard to PNR, he understood European concerns over protection of privacy. Our systems are different, he said, but we are working for the same ends. “The debate is academic because privacy is every bit as well protected in the United States as it is in Europe. In fact, in some areas, there is greater protection in the United States than in Europe”, he said, adding, “I do not know of a single case of rights violation because of these agreements”.
At the press conference which followed the meeting, US Ambassador to the EU William E.Kennard said that PNR negotiations were continuing and that the US “recognises EU concerns”. The US chief negotiator will be in Brussels next week for discussions. (DD: tr/transl.rt)