UK pushes EU to extend use of airline passenger data

The UK wants wider powers to use airline passenger data

European Union (EU) ministers are deadlocked over UK demands to use airline-supplied Passenger Name Records (PNR) data for purposes way beyond the "counter terrorism and combating organised crime" objectives to which other EU states wish to restrict it.

The disagreement was confirmed in a report to the UK parliament in which identity minister Meg Hillier outlined the programme for the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Friday (24 October).

"The UK wishes to see an EU-level framework which sets a minimum level of harmonisation for the processing of PNR data, allowing member states to legislate domestically for additional collection and uses of PNR data," she told MPs.

"The council will be asked to note progress on these issues and give a mandate for working group discussions to continue."

In doing so Hillier confirmed there is continuing resistance on the continent to the Home Office desire to require the data to be collected for internal EU flights as well, at least into and out of the UK, and for the data to be available for immigration control and other non-counter-terrorist purposes.

Also on the agenda are plans to rubber-stamp the creation of a European Criminal Records Information System which Hillier said is "designed to create a computerised conviction exchange system between member states".

"The UK will support this as the arrangements will allow the system to function smoothly, enable the technical work to progress without unnecessary bureaucracy and ensure that member states maintain a sufficient degree of control," she said.

Ministers will also be asked to agree to set up national alert platforms and a European platform for reporting offences on the internet, which the UK broadly supports, said Hillier.