Strasbourg, 16/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament has expressed disapproval of the way the United States is collecting and using personal information about EU citizens for counter-terrorism ends. Following a debate on 31 January 2007 (see EUROPE 9257), MEPs voted through a non-binding resolution in plenary in Strasbourg on 14 February slamming the current rules whereby airlines have to transfer their passenger databases to the US authorities. The MEPs are very concerned about the transfer of bank information by the SWIFT company to the US treasury, urging the European Central Bank to try and find a solution to this situation, described by MEPs as unlawful. In order to remedy the violation of privacy in these two cases, the EP believes it is necessary for the EU and the United States to define common guarantees in the war on terror, and calls for the US Congress to back this up. The EP recommends the adoption of a framework decision on the protection of personal data under the third pillar (see EUROPE 9274), wanting it to cover the transfer of information outside the EU. PNR. The EP wants a full evaluation to be carried out before a new agreement is signed in July. MEPs want the new agreement to allow them, and the US Congress, to assess the conformity of future data transfers with fundamental rights. They want the new agreement to change from 'pull' to 'push' (see EUROPE 9281). SWIFT. The EP expressed its concerns that for four years now, the US company SWIFT, based in Belgium, has been systematically making a copy of data on a shadow database in the United States, contravening EU and Belgian confidentiality legislation. The EP is unhappy that the ECB and national banks were aware of the practice but failed to act against it. MEPs are also unhappy that only seven Member States have answered the letter sent by Commissioner Franco Frattini to EU governments, asking for clarification. The MEPs urge the European Commission to assess the dangers of economic and trade espionage inherent in the SWIFT payment system. (bc)