05 November 2018
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).
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See: Update on the Informal Working Group on PNR - 7th IWG PNR meeting (Paris, 2-3 October 2018)
The document states (emphasis added):
"Europol outlined its envisaged capabilities within the EU travel intelligence architecture. Specific operational and strategic products and services, defined, developed and delivered by a Europol taskforce in close cooperation with the Commission, Frontex and eu-LISA, would support MS in the operational and strategic use of travel related information and intelligence stemming from e.g. PNR, advance passenger information (API) and ETIAS. Europol would furthermore contribute to the development and delivery of training for the analysis of travel related information in a coordinated partnership with CEPOL and a number of MS. The Europol representative underlined that common efforts by MS and other parties concerned would be needed to achieve these goals in the area of travel intelligence."
The Informal Working Group on PNR was set up to assist in the uniform implementation of the Passenger Name Record Directive, which was agreed in April 2016 and mandates the surveillance and profiling of almost all air passengers entering, travelling within, or leaving the EU.
The most recent meeting took place in Paris at the begining of October, by which time 17 Member States had fully implemented the Directive - although it was supposed to be in place across the EU by the end of May this year.
Other issues discussed at the meeting included PNR training, accessing additional data on travel agencies, information on the PIUs (Passenger Information Units, responsible for receiving and processing PNR data) and a "taskforce" on high-speed trains led by Belgium alongside the Netherlands, UK and France.
See: Update on the Informal Working Group on PNR - 7th IWG PNR meeting (Paris, 2-3 October 2018)
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