Brussels, 09/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - The NGO European Digital Rights is challenging the agreement reached on 17 December 2003 between the EU and the USA on holding files on passengers travelling on Trans-Atlantic flights, particularly provisions on the "Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System (CAPPS 2). This system, which is not yet operational, is not covered in the agreement and will be subject to a new round of negotiations (EUEOPE 18 December p 9). However, certain personal passenger data (PPD) could be used for testing the system, which particularly worries the NGO. Jonathan Todd, spokesperson for internal market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein, gave assurances that "In the CAPPS II test phase, they (the Transport security agency" responsible for developing the system) can use PPD but only for testing the system. We also have commitments that this data will not be kept or used in any operational way". The NGO is far from convinced. Director Andreas Dietl said that CAPPs II was a very extensive computerised network and that once data was inside, there would be no way of erasing it as it would be distributed to lots of different agencies. This explains why the NGO is calling on the European Parliament to question transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio about the matter when she speaks on air security at the parliamentary plenary in Strasbourg on Monday (see p 10).