The EU and the US have finally reached a deal regarding passenger data sharing, bringing to an end a period of frustration for transatlantic airlines.
A previous deal that saw European airlines required to provide the US with 34 pieces of passenger data was struck down earlier this year, meaning the two sides had to come to a new agreement.
The passenger data requirements (brought in post-9/11) included credit card details, phone numbers and other personal information. The EU was not happy to let the US access this data direct from airlines and the top European court annulled the arrangement.
A deadline for a new deal was missed last weekend, giving rise to speculation that the US might ban European airlines if they failed to meet US requirements.
However, following a marathon nine hours of talks last night (October 5-6), a new deal has been struck. This will require the US authorities to request the passenger information, rather than accessing the data directly from the airlines.
“It’s not direct access and not a power to pull in data,” said the EU’s justice and security commissioner, Franco Frattini.
The agreement is an interim pact that will only apply until July next year. EU and US officials will negotiate a longer-term deal in the meantime.
