BBC : EU-US airline data talks collapse

EU-US airline data talks collapse

BBC News | September 30, 2006

Talks between the United States and the European Union on sharing confidential airline passenger information have broken down, according to EU officials.

But officials say there will be no disruption to transatlantic flights.

After 9/11, US authorities demanded that airlines should provide personal passenger data for all inbound flights.

But the subsequent US-EU agreement was ruled illegal by the highest European court. Saturday was the deadline for a new deal.

A European Commission spokesman said that a legal black hole could be created by the lack of agreement.

"There is no agreement. There is a legal vacuum as of midnight tonight," said EU Transport Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd.

Imperative

As a result, airlines refusing to provide passenger lists to the US may lose landing rights in the country, but those that do risk facing legal action under EU member states' data protection legislation.

But Mr Todd told BBC News 24 that attempts to resolve the deadlock would continue.

"We will be discussing this at the highest political levels to see how we can take if forward. There is an imperative to sort it out sooner rather than later," he said.

However, the US Homeland Security Secretary told Reuters news agency that there was "absolutely no basis" to say that discussions had broken down.

"We are confident we can move forward to a mutually acceptable agreement," Mr Chertoff said.

Since 2003, US authorities have requested that airlines provide passengers' personal data to American security officials, including credit card information and telephone numbers.

A total of 34 pieces of data [on each passenger] must be transferred to authorities within 15 minutes of a flight's departure for the US.

This practice was deemed illegal by the European Court of Justice, leading to talks for a new agreement.