European Parliament overrules anti-terror deal

04/05/2004 - 14:28:41
The European Parliament overruled member governments today and refused to reconsider its opposition to a contentious transatlantic anti-terrorist deal on sharing airline passenger data.

The parliament in Strasbourg voted 343 to 301 against the request to offer an opinion on the deal.

Eighteen MEPs abstained.

The decision not to vote on the deal, negotiated last December between the commission and the United States, is a setback for EU governments keen to boost anti-terrorist cooperation with Washington.

But in practical terms it may have little effect, since interim measures are already in place that provide Washington with even more passenger information than the proposed permanent agreement.

The proposed final accord – intended to provide legal certainty for European airlines caught in the middle – will stay on hold until the court rules on the issue, which could take several months.

Many in the Parliament fear the deal violates civil liberties.

“We still have no guarantees that European passenger data transferred to the US is not passed on to third parties,” said Dutch liberal Johanna Boogerd-Quaak, the leading opponent of the deal.

Conservatives, who supported the deal in last month’s vote, argued it was urgently needed to prevent terrorist attacks on transatlantic flights.

EU governments and the commission had asked under Parliament’s so-called urgent procedure to put the measure back on the agenda this week, the last legislative session before elections next month.

Interim arrangements already force airlines to transfer extensive passenger information – from credit card numbers to meal preferences – within 15 minutes of departure to US authorities.

The European Commission and US officials say the data collected under the deal would only be used to fight terrorism and other serious crimes, including organised crime.

They say the deal would limit the amount of data on passengers that can be collected, restricts who can see it and calls for it to be stored no longer than three and a half years.

Europeans would also have right to “equal redress” with US authorities and would have access to a privacy officer who handles complaints.

Washington has warned that if it does not get the passenger information it wants it would punish airlines with fines and the loss of landing rights.

It argues the data retention is a vital counterterrorism measure.