The Council of the EU has given its final green light to two regulations that will strengthen security at the EU’s borders and improve the fight against terrorism and crime: the regulations on the collection and transfer of advance passenger information, known as API data.
An Interinstitutional Agreement was reached last March (see EUROPE 13362/3). The first regulation lays down common rules for the collection and transfer of passenger data.
Airlines will have to transmit passenger data (travel document data, flight details and baggage information) to the authorities before passengers board the plane. This will enable the authorities to carry out prior checks, assess potential security risks and manage them effectively, says the Council of the EU in a press release.
The regulation on the use of APIs for law enforcement purposes will make it possible to link API data to PNR data (Passenger Name Record, which is more comprehensive and includes the passenger’s name, dates of travel, itineraries, seats, contact details and means of payment), enabling the authorities to track criminal activities and prevent the movements of criminal and terrorist groups.
A centralised data transmission system (router) will be set up to ensure more accurate data sharing and reduce the administrative burden.
Airlines will be required to use automated systems to transmit API data, with a transitional period for manual data collection if necessary. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)