European Union: Proposal Seeks Collection of Passenger Data for International Flights

According to euobserver.com, a proposal in the European Union (EU), if adopted, would require the collection of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data of travelers flying internationally into or out of the EU. The proposal does not apply to travelers flying between EU member states.

PNR data include an individual’s home address, mobile phone number, credit card information and email address. The data are collected in the departure country, then forwarded to the arrival country for security screening purposes. Such a procedure exists in the United States: airlines flying into and over the United States must provide authorities with all passengers’ PNR data.

Support among EU member states is mixed. The proposal’s supporters point to reports that data collection resulted in 1,800 individuals being denied entry to the United States in 2008 based on data revealing links to terrorist cells or organized crime. Opponents express concerns about infringements upon civil liberties and contend that the burden on governments to maintain another huge information database (and on businesses to collect and supply this information) is onerous.