MEPS call for a PNR which both tackles trafficking, organised crime and terrorism and protects the data privacy of citizens as negotiations advance.

Passenger name record: striking the balance in security and data privacy

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/20214723/n005-151211-001-en.srt

It all started in 2011 when  the EU Commission drafted a proposal

to establish an EU-wide  Passenger Name Record or PNR.

The record aims to allow  Member State authorities

to access airlines’ personal information  on passengers travelling outside the EU.

The information would be used  for prevention,

detection, investigation  and prosecution.

PNR is an important tool in the fight against  trafficking, organised crime and terrorism.

It is not a silver bullet, nor have I agreeded  in response to one specific attack,

National authorities can store PNR data  for up to five years.

For the first six months,  the data will be unmasked,

meaning the name, contact information and  address of a passenger will be visible.

At first, Member states wanted information  to be visible for a two-year period.

But MEPs pushed to reduce it  to six months in an effort to strike a balance

between privacy and security  in the fight against terrorism.