Brussels, 07/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 6 February EU ambassadors approved Commission guidelines for concluding an agreement with Australia on the transfer of Passenger Name Records (PNR) as part of the fight against terrorism, international crime and organised crime. EU interior ministers intended to give their definitive go-ahead to these guidelines at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 28 February in Brussels. At the beginning of 2004, negotiations took place between the EU and Australian officials for negotiating such an agreement (EUROPE 9516). However, the opening up of formal negotiations was consistently postponed. Mainly because the Europeans were waiting for the conclusion of a PNR agreement with the US, which happened in June 2007 and then because the Commission presented its final European PNR proposal last November. Australia, which was recently hoping to conclude an agreement under the Portuguese presidency, now hopes to get a result as soon as possible under the Slovenian presidency. The European Commission wants an agreement by the end of the presidency, before 30 June, indicated one European source. Diplomatic sources said that the agreement currently being negotiated between the EU and Australia is more or less a copy of the agreement signed with the US. The same source said that during negotiations the presidency, assisted by the Commission, was expected to examine the question of data protection, a subject that is still proving delicate when the subject of personal data transfer is raised. The Council will have to reach unanimity because the agreement is part of the police and legal domain. (B.C.)