EU seeks to store air-passenger data also for internal flights

Brussels (dpa) - The European Union was closing in Friday on a deal that would allow the data of passengers travelling on flights within the bloc to be systematically stored for law enforcement purposes, along with that of people flying to and from the EU.The creation of a European passenger name records (PNR) system has been under discussion for nearly five years to better fight terrorism, but was stymied by data privacy concerns. The Paris attacks in January and November gave new momentum to the measure.EU governments and the European Parliament are under pressure to strike a deal on the creation of a European PNR by the end of this year."We are a few steps away from an agreement," French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told his EU counterparts on Friday during talks in Brussels.He demanded that intra-EU and charter flights also be covered by the deal, to allow the bloc to send "an extremely strong signal of Europe‘s effectiveness in the face of terrorist risks."Intra-EU flights had in the past proven controversial, with parliamentarians wanting to limit the PNR data collection to flights to and from the EU. But Cazeneuve said that the legislature is now ready to include flights within the bloc.Dutch Interior Minister Ard van der Steur cautioned, however, that "proportionality" is "important" if intra-EU flights are to be included.Luxembourg, which currently holds the EU‘s presidency, said it would now seek a political agreement that would also cover intra-EU and charter flights.Another issue that had proven troublesome in the negotiations was how long unmasked passenger data can be stored before it is rendered anonymous. EU governments had initially asked for a year, while parliament is pushing for six months.The PNR negotiations will now continue, amid warnings that time for a deal is running short."We‘ve been waiting too long for a deal on passenger name records. We need a deal now, immediate action is important," British Home Secretary Theresa May said."Terrorism can hit at any time. We need this tool," Cazeneuve added."We could spot early on if dangerous people come to Europe, which routes they take and what their networks are like," German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said.PNR data includes personal information such as passengers‘ names, credit card numbers and meal requests. Airlines based in the EU already share such information with security services in Australia, Canada and the United States.