BETA


2010/2657(RSP) Resolution on the launch of negotiations for passenger name record (PNR) agreements with the United States, Australia and Canada

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 132-p2

Events

2010/09/06
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2010/05/05
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2010/05/05
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2010/05/05
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

Following the debate which took place during the sitting of 21 April 2010, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the launch of negotiations for Passenger Name Record (PNR) agreements with the United States, Australia and Canada.

The resolution had been tabled by the ALDE, S&D, EPP, Greens/ALE and ECR and GUE/NGL groups.

Parliament decided to postpone the vote on the request for consent on the agreements with the US and Australia until it has explored the options for arrangements for the use of PNR that are in line with EU law and meet the concerns expressed by Parliament in earlier resolutions on PNR (see resolutions of 20 November 2008 and 17 September 2009). It asks the European Commission, in accordance with Article 218 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to provide Parliament with all the relevant information and background documents, particularly the specific information asked for in its EU PNR resolution as mentioned above.

Parliament considers that any new legislative instrument must be preceded by a Privacy Impact Assessment, and a proportionality test demonstrating that existing legal instruments are not sufficient. It calls in particular for an analysis of:

the use of API data (collected in accordance with Directive 2004/82/EC on the obligation of carriers to communicate passenger data-the API Directive) within the EU and by third countries as a possible less intrusive means of passenger data collection and use; data collected by the US and Australia in their respective systems for Electronic Travel Authorisation, and PNR data which may be available from sources not covered by international agreements, such as computer reservation systems located outside the EU; calls on the Commission to consult all stakeholders, including air carriers.

It calls for a coherent approach on the use of PNR data for law enforcement and security purposes, establishing a single set of principles to serve as a basis for agreements with third countries. Members invite the Commission to present, no later than mid-July 2010, a proposal for such a single model and a draft mandate for negotiations with third countries, stating that the model should meet the following minimum requirements :

PNR data may only be used for law enforcement and security purposes in cases of organised and transnational serious crime or terrorism of a cross-border nature, on the basis of the legal definitions laid down in Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA on combating terrorism and in Council Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA on the European arrest warrant ; the use of PNR data for law enforcement and security purposes must be in line with European data protection standards, in particular regarding purpose limitation, proportionality, legal redress, limitation of the amount of data to be collected and of the length of storage periods; in no circumstances may PNR data be used for data mining or profiling; no 'no-fly' decision or decision to investigate or prosecute may ever be taken on the sole results of such automated searches or browsing of databases; use of data must be limited to specific crimes or threats, on a case-by-case basis; in the case of the transfer of PNR data of EU citizens to third countries, the terms of such transfers shall be laid down in a binding international treaty, providing legal certainty and equal treatment for EU citizens and companies; the onward transfer of data by the recipient country to third countries shall be in line with EU standards on data protection, to be established by a specific adequacy finding; this will apply equally to any possible onward transfer of data by the recipient country to third countries; PNR data may only be provided on the basis of the PUSH method; results will immediately be shared with the relevant authorities of the EU and of the Member States.

Parliament underlines the importance of legal certainty for EU citizens and airlines, as well as the need for harmonised standards for the latter. It also believes that appropriate mechanisms for independent review and judicial oversight and democratic control must be provided for in any new agreement. Members ask the Commission to request, as soon as possible, that the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights provide a detailed opinion on the fundamental rights dimension of any new PNR agreement.

Lastly, Parliament asks the Commission and the Presidency to ensure that Parliament is given full access to the negotiation documents and directives at all stages of the procedure, in line with Article 218(10) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, and that national parliaments are given access upon request.

Documents
2010/05/05
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2010/04/21
   EP - Debate in Parliament
Details

Documents

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-7-2010-0244_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-7-2010-0244_EN.html
events/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20100421&type=CRE
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CRE-7-2010-04-21-TOC_EN.html
events/2
date
2010-05-05T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-7-2010-0144_EN.html title: T7-0144/2010
summary
events/2
date
2010-05-05T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-7-2010-0144_EN.html title: T7-0144/2010
summary
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 132-p2
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 123-p2
docs/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2010-244&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-7-2010-0244_EN.html
docs/1/body
EC
events/2/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2010-144
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-7-2010-0144_EN.html
activities
  • date: 2010-04-21T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20100421&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2010-05-05T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=18342&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2010-144 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T7-0144/2010 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
committees
    docs
    • date: 2010-05-05T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2010-244&language=EN title: B7-0244/2010 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2010-09-06T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=18342&j=0&l=en title: SP(2010)4415 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
    events
    • date: 2010-04-21T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20100421&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament summary:
    • date: 2010-05-05T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=18342&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
    • date: 2010-05-05T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2010-144 title: T7-0144/2010 summary: Following the debate which took place during the sitting of 21 April 2010, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the launch of negotiations for Passenger Name Record (PNR) agreements with the United States, Australia and Canada. The resolution had been tabled by the ALDE, S&D, EPP, Greens/ALE and ECR and GUE/NGL groups. Parliament decided to postpone the vote on the request for consent on the agreements with the US and Australia until it has explored the options for arrangements for the use of PNR that are in line with EU law and meet the concerns expressed by Parliament in earlier resolutions on PNR (see resolutions of 20 November 2008 and 17 September 2009). It asks the European Commission, in accordance with Article 218 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to provide Parliament with all the relevant information and background documents, particularly the specific information asked for in its EU PNR resolution as mentioned above. Parliament considers that any new legislative instrument must be preceded by a Privacy Impact Assessment, and a proportionality test demonstrating that existing legal instruments are not sufficient. It calls in particular for an analysis of: the use of API data (collected in accordance with Directive 2004/82/EC on the obligation of carriers to communicate passenger data-the API Directive) within the EU and by third countries as a possible less intrusive means of passenger data collection and use; data collected by the US and Australia in their respective systems for Electronic Travel Authorisation, and PNR data which may be available from sources not covered by international agreements, such as computer reservation systems located outside the EU; calls on the Commission to consult all stakeholders, including air carriers. It calls for a coherent approach on the use of PNR data for law enforcement and security purposes, establishing a single set of principles to serve as a basis for agreements with third countries. Members invite the Commission to present, no later than mid-July 2010, a proposal for such a single model and a draft mandate for negotiations with third countries, stating that the model should meet the following minimum requirements : PNR data may only be used for law enforcement and security purposes in cases of organised and transnational serious crime or terrorism of a cross-border nature, on the basis of the legal definitions laid down in Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA on combating terrorism and in Council Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA on the European arrest warrant ; the use of PNR data for law enforcement and security purposes must be in line with European data protection standards, in particular regarding purpose limitation, proportionality, legal redress, limitation of the amount of data to be collected and of the length of storage periods; in no circumstances may PNR data be used for data mining or profiling; no 'no-fly' decision or decision to investigate or prosecute may ever be taken on the sole results of such automated searches or browsing of databases; use of data must be limited to specific crimes or threats, on a case-by-case basis; in the case of the transfer of PNR data of EU citizens to third countries, the terms of such transfers shall be laid down in a binding international treaty, providing legal certainty and equal treatment for EU citizens and companies; the onward transfer of data by the recipient country to third countries shall be in line with EU standards on data protection, to be established by a specific adequacy finding; this will apply equally to any possible onward transfer of data by the recipient country to third countries; PNR data may only be provided on the basis of the PUSH method; results will immediately be shared with the relevant authorities of the EU and of the Member States. Parliament underlines the importance of legal certainty for EU citizens and airlines, as well as the need for harmonised standards for the latter. It also believes that appropriate mechanisms for independent review and judicial oversight and democratic control must be provided for in any new agreement. Members ask the Commission to request, as soon as possible, that the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights provide a detailed opinion on the fundamental rights dimension of any new PNR agreement. Lastly, Parliament asks the Commission and the Presidency to ensure that Parliament is given full access to the negotiation documents and directives at all stages of the procedure, in line with Article 218(10) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, and that national parliaments are given access upon request.
    • date: 2010-05-05T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    links
    other
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure EP 123-p2
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 123-p2
      procedure/selected_topics
        procedure/subject
        Old
        • 1.20.09 Protection of privacy and data protection
        • 3.20.01.01 Air safety
        • 7.30.20 Action to combat terrorism
        New
        1.20.09
        Protection of privacy and data protection
        3.20.01.01
        Air safety
        7.30.20
        Action to combat terrorism
        procedure/subtype
        Old
        Resolution on statements
        New
        Resolution on statement
        procedure/title
        Old
        Resolution on the launch of negotiations for Passenger Name Record (PNR) agreements with the United States, Australia and Canada
        New
        Resolution on the launch of negotiations for passenger name record (PNR) agreements with the United States, Australia and Canada
        activities
        • date: 2010-04-21T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20100421&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
        • date: 2010-05-05T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=18342&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2010-144 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T7-0144/2010 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
        committees
          links
          other
            procedure
            reference
            2010/2657(RSP)
            title
            Resolution on the launch of negotiations for Passenger Name Record (PNR) agreements with the United States, Australia and Canada
            selected_topics
            legal_basis
            Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 123-p2
            stage_reached
            Procedure completed
            subtype
            Resolution on statements
            type
            RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
            subject