The Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU will launch a debate on extending the collection of PNR (passenger name records) data to means of transport other than air, such as high-speed rail or ship, the Finnish Minister of the Interior, Maria Ohisalo, told MEPs of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee on Wednesday 4 September.
The EU Council recently received a discussion paper on the extension of the PNR system, which involves collecting air passenger data for analysis purposes to prevent terrorism.
In the 25 June Note, the Presidency specifically highlights the increase in passenger traffic to and from the Schengen area, with the increase in the number of cross-border journeys involving more cross-border crime and posing “an increasing problem for national law enforcement authorities in the fight against crime”.
When Birgit Sippel (S&D, Germany) pointed out that there are problems in some Member States with PNR, the minister specified that the “aim is not to make a proposal right away”, but just to launch the debate. In fact, the note emphasises that, according to a questionnaire sent to Member States, Member States are generally open to the idea of extending the PNR system to other means of transport, but they are not necessarily ready to do so immediately, since some Member States have yet to even transpose the European directive on PNR collection in air transport.
On other topics, the Finnish Minister, not surprisingly, was asked about the fate of the ‘asylum package’ and the Presidency's intentions for unblocking reform of the Dublin Regulation. Members were undoubtedly disappointed, as the young minister made no promises, simply indicating that she will move things forward within a more global framework. It is likely, given the establishment of the new Commission, that progress in this area will only be possible under the next Presidencies, the Minister suggested.
While acknowledging the obvious need to “improve the migration system, improve trust between Member States and better understand each other's limits”, the Minister explained that it is necessary to focus more on “core issues in a pragmatic way” and less on “details”. Finland “will push as far as possible” and “guide discussions to create the basis for the next Commission and Presidency”, she added.
The Minister's other matters of priority will include the fight against terrorism, which remains a threat, even if large-scale attacks are on the decline, and in particular, the desire to understand the social dimension of terrorism and the discrimination that can lead to it. It will also be necessary to tackle not only jihadist, but also extreme right terrorism.
With regard to terrorism, further work on the regulation on the removal of radical content online will be another priority.
The development of 5G and the challenge it poses for access to data by European police forces will be another area of focus for the Presidency. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)