EU studies plans to salvage trans-Atlantic passenger data deal with U.S.

Photo: EU studies plans to salvage trans-Atlantic passenger data deal with U.S.

The EU court on Tuesday struck down the 2004 agreement, which gave U.S. authorities the right access 34 pieces of information about each passenger traveling to the U.S., including name, address and credit card details.

Washington says the measure is crucial for fighting terrorism.

Those details are transferred to U.S. customs authorities by the airlines. Frattini said Thursday that the EU would make every effort to guarantee the agreement will continue to be applied.

The EU court did not question the content of the deal, only the legal process used to broker the treaty with the United States.

Frattini said the EU should maintain the agreement, warning if the law is not amended by Sept. 30, airlines may have to change the way they collect and transfer data. EU and U.S. officials, as well as airline authorities, have said they are confident the legal issues can be resolved in time, the AP reports.

Washington has warned that without the agreement, airlines failing to pass on passenger information face fines of up to US$6,000 (Ђ4,700) per passenger and the loss of landing rights.

Frattini said he would not try to reopen negotiations on the actual substance of the deal, which the European Parliament opposed, complaining the deal did not offer enough guarantees to European citizens that their privacy rights under EU law was being protected by U.S. authorities.

EU officials said however that a first review of the deal last year by European experts found U.S. guarantees were "legally adequate."

The deal, signed in 2004, collects data called passenger name records, and can usually include a variety of information such as credit card numbers, travel itineraries, addresses, telephone numbers and meal requests. The latter can indicate a passenger's religion or ethnicity, the AP reports.