MEPs refer EU-US air passenger data deal to Court

7.01.01pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 21st Apr 2004

Sarah Ludford, pictured here in discussion with Commissioner Vitorino (Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs) has continually pressed the Commission to prevent wasteful fishing expeditions and encourage only measures which will genuinely tackle terrorism

Baroness Sarah Ludford, London's Liberal Democrat MEP and European Liberal Democrat justice spokeswoman has welcomed the vote in the European Parliament to refer to the European Court of Justice the US-EU deal on the transfer by European airlines to US authorities of sensitive personal information on transatlantic air passengers. The US has now said it would feel free to transfer this data on to third countries.

She said: "The US must realise that it cannot ride roughshod over our rights and the Commission must respect the views of the EU's directly elected Parliament. European data protection watchdogs have pointed out this deal would drive a coach and horses through EU data protection laws."

"The agreement represents a bad deal for privacy of European citizens and is legally flawed. I regret that it has come to this, but since the Commission reneged on its pledge to subject the agreement to a binding vote in the European Parliament, going to Court was the only tool available to stop an abuse of executive power.

"In the European Parliament we are in solidarity with the US in combating terrorism. But any cooperation agreement with the United States must be proportionate. The current deal may be merely a 'fishing expedition' and not really reduce the threat of terrorism. After all, we now know US intelligence services failed to use information they had before 9/11."

Note

Members of the European Parliament voted by 276 to 260 (with 13 abstentions) to refer to the European Court of Justice a draft agreement between the Commission and the United States on air passenger data transfers to the US.

Under the agreement access to personal airline passenger data does not stop at names, addresses and contact telephone numbers. It will include data on travelling companions and hosts, the travel agency with which reservations were made, passengers' credit card details as well as dietary preferences.

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