Brussels, 27/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 26 January, EU27 home ministers meeting in Copenhagen discussed the Commission proposal presented in February 2011 to set in place a programme for the transfer of European passenger data, the PNR (Passenger Name Record) programme. Last year, a majority of ministers had already taken a stance in favour of including intra-European flights in the project, especially those considered to be risky. The Commission, however, hoped to keep to flights to and from third countries. On Thursday, a source states, discussion focused more on the feasibility of the project and its financial implementation, with a majority of countries calling on the Commission to foresee additional funding as part of the Internal Security Fund, specifically intended for the project. Ministers also reaffirmed their support for the project, which above all allows action to counter terrorism and major crime. Several countries remain cautious, however, such as Germany and Austria, which are traditionally very concerned about the protection of privacy. They are calling for analyses to be carried out on the proportionality and utility of the project, as well as on guarantees pertaining to its potentially intrusive nature. The Danish Presidency will seek to reach a general approach on the dossier within the next few months in order to be able to open talks with the EP. (SP/transl.jl)