Brussels, 03/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - The ECR group at the European Parliament accuses the other EP groups (S&D, ALDE, Greens/EFA, EFDD and ENF) of preventing adoption of the draft European PNR, European personal air passenger collection for people both leaving and entering the EU. In a press release, the Conservative group accuses the other political groupings of voting against having the PNR question put on the agenda of next week's plenary sitting, as only the EPP group backed the request to this effect by the leader of ECR group, Syed Kamall.
The Conservative group accuses the other groupings of delaying this crucial question for the fight against terrorism. EU interior ministers adopted their negotiating position in December and the EP's civil liberties committee (LIBE) followed suit soon afterwards. Among the accused political groups, such as the S&D, people explain that they have always wanted the final vote on European PNR to be connected with the final vote on the personal data protection package. Since this condition has not yet been met, the groups wanted to postpone putting the question on the agenda.
The data protection package (voted upon in LIBE in December), which contains a directive and a general regulation, will not be ready until April (in part due to the timing of translations). Another EP source explains that it has therefore been decided to vote through the two issues together in April. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)