TIME TO SHARE EU close to passenger data deal

Posted on 12/03/2015

The European Union is on the brink of clinching a deal on sharing airline passenger information which security experts consider vital to stop extremists travelling to and from the Mideast. EU interior ministers are set to discuss the passenger name record agreement on Friday, after experts narrowed differences between security concerns and privacy rights in talks overnight on Wednesday.

Officials say only one issue is blocking a deal - the length of time that information about air travellers can be stored. A deal could be sealed this month, bringing to an end a process that began eight years ago. The agreement would give law enforcement agencies in the 28 EU nations access to information gathered by airlines, like names, travel dates, itinerary, credit card and contact details.