Brussels, 20/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - Timothy Kirkhope (CER, UK) is “determined” to move forward the 'European PNR' dossier, on the table of the European legislators since 2011, and hopes to reach a political agreement by “this summer”, he explained on Tuesday 20 January.
In the wake of the Paris attacks, the dossier is “urgent” and “doing nothing is not an option”, stressed the European Parliament rapporteur on this system, which is designed to collect data on European airline passengers travelling from or to third countries. He stressed that “we are in considerable danger” from criminal groups whose methods have plunged the EU into “a new era of terrorism”.
No formal date has as yet been set for talks on the European PNR, at deadlock within the civil liberties committee since 2013, to resume. An expert meeting will be held on 4 February and the British MEP hopes that the coordinators will then agree on a timetable. Kirkhope has pledged to provide the most reluctant MEPs with the necessary guarantees as to data protection, but does not wish to see radical changes. One of the most sensitive points concerns the inclusion of intra-European flights in the European PNR, an idea of which the MEP is in favour. The period for passenger data to be held will be laid down at five years. (SP)