Brussels, 28/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament (EP) civil liberties committee (LIBE) remains divided on the agreement negotiated between the Commission and the United States on the transfer of European air passengers' data to the US Department of Homeland Security (the PNR agreement), it was clear at a hearing on Monday 27 February.
At the start of February, rapporteur Spohia In't Veld (ALDE, Netherlands) said that she would recommend that the agreement be rejected, concerned, for example, that data were being held for much too long (up to 15 years in some cases) and that the scope of the agreement was too wide. She felt, quite simply, that the agreement did not comply with European law and that there should be no question of a precedent being set. The Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL Groups share this view.
The EPP, however, backs the agreement. German MEP Axel Voss says that it achieves a fine balance between the imperatives of security and protection of privacy, and that not to ratify it would mean a long period of uncertainty for airlines. Even though it is not perfect, the agreement has to be supported, the EPP feels. The ECR Group follows the same reasoning.
That leaves the S&D Group, which is still delaying revealing its position and is showing a great deal of caution. The group is likely to abstain in a non-binding vote in the foreign affairs committee (AFET) this week, though this does not prejudge the position it will adopt in the LIBE committee at the end of March, a group spokesman said. At this point, the S&D is conducting consultations and assessments and is meeting experts. It will soon come to its final position, the spokesman said. The delay can be justified by the complexity of the agreement where it is necessary “to be able to ensure the best possible balance, the effectiveness of the recourse offered to Europeans and the fairness of the scope”, he went on to say, noting that this agreement is very different from and more difficult to grasp than the one negotiated with Australia.
The LIBE committee is expected to agree its stance at the end of March, then the issue will be put to the plenary session in April. Under the terms of the Lisbon Treaty, the EP must give its assent to international agreements. (SP/transl.rt)