Archive
CJEU judgment on the Passenger Name Record Directive
The Court of Justice appears to have rewritten the EU's Passenger Name Record (PNR) Directive in a case concerning the effects of the law on fundamental rights. While the ruling introduces a number of restrictions on what the authorities may do with PNR data, it nevertheless legitmises its ongoing use as a policing tool. Read More
European Commission: Review of the PNR Directive: no amendments needed “at this stage”
See: Report on the review of Directive 2016/681 on the use of passenger name record (PNR) data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime (COM(2020) 305 final, 24 July Read More
EU: Travel data to be used for public health purposes?
The German Council Presidency has asked member states whether they are using passenger data collected by airline companies to track people infected with COVID-19, with an eye to expanding the scope of EU legislation on the issue. Currently EU rules are limited to using passenger data for "preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting terrorist offences and serious crime." Read More
EU: Europol foresees key role in “the EU travel intelligence architecture”
The EU policing agency Europol sees itself having a major role in the future "EU travel intelligence architecture", according to a report on the October meeting of the EU's 'Informal Working Group on PNR' (Passenger Name Record). Read More
EU: Travel surveillance: Commission demands PNR Directive implementation by 14 Member States as ‘Informal Working Group’ settles in
The European Commission has sent "letters of formal notice" to 14 EU Member States for failing to to implement the Passenger Name Record (PNR) Directive by the deadline of 25 May 2018. Meanwhile, an 'Informal Working Group' set up by the Council to assist with national implementation of the Directive appears to be steadily expanding - Australia, Canada and the USA have all participated in meetings and invitations have been sent to Japan and the United Nations, according to a recent document. Read More
EU: Council, Europol and “expert group” press on with plans to boost “information exchange and information management”
In May this year the Council of the EU drew up an extensive "roadmap to enhance information exchange and information management" in relation to justice and home affairs policies - principally policing, migration and counter-terrorism. A recent leaked document provides a summary of progress on a number of those actions, including detailed information on how security checks in the "hotspots" in Italy and Greece function. Read More
The European Parliament has “egg on its face”: EU Passenger Name Record (PNR): Civil Liberties Committee backs EP/Council deal
In short, yes it is "voluntary" but all Member States have agreed to extend the scope of the Directive from recording PNR data from flights in and out of the EU to also include all flights between Member States within the EU - at a stroke the scope of the measure massively extended. It will be interesting to see how the European Parliament will react. Read More
FRANCE-EU: Valls to Pittella: if Parliament doesn’t agree on PNR, Member States will do it themselves
French prime minister Manuel Valls has written to Gianni Pittella, chair of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, demanding the adoption of the EU Passenger Name Record Directive on air travel surveillance by the end of the year. Read More
EU-PNR: Mass surveillance legislation creeps closer: leaked compromise text
According to Politico, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU are close to an agreement on the Passenger Name Record Directive, which would require the mass surveillance of air travel as a first step towards the surveillance of all mass transport. Read More
Council of the EU: Discussion paper pending trilogues with the Parliament (12843/15)
NOTE From: Presidency To: Delegations: Preparation of trilogues (Council doc. 12843/15, LIMITE, 14 October 2015, pdf): "I. BACKGROUND 1. The GENVAL Working Party started preparing the trilogues on the proposal for the PNR Directive immediately Read More