European Parliament tries to quash passenger data deal

The European Parliament has filed a request with the highest court of the European Union (E.U.) to quash a deal to hand over sensitive airline passenger data to U.S. authorities.

The European Court of Justice said Friday that the European Parliament had formally lodged requests to annul two decisions under which E.U. airlines would transfer a range of data on airline passengers to the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.

If the court decides to back the Parliament and declares the deal illegal, airlines could face legal challenges from individuals and organizations who oppose the U.S. receiving this data.

The assembly has also asked the court to give its verdict under a special fast-track procedure which could mean the court reaching a judgement within three months.

The European Parliament agreed in March this year to launch a legal challenge to a deal struck between the European Commission, the E.U.’s member states and the U.S. authorities to hand over airline passenger data, claiming that the agreement broke E.U. data protection rules. The U.S. insisted on receiving this information as part of measures to increase security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

However, members of the European Parliament objected to the scope of information included in the data and demanded that sensitive items, such as a passengers’ meal choices, should be removed.

The European Parliament’s aim is to have the deal declared illegal and to force the U.S. to renegotiate the terms of the agreement. But the European Commission has warned that it has already obtained the best possible deal with the U.S. and that Washington will not make any further concessions.

Would you recommend this article?

Share

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think of this article!
We'd love to hear your opinion about this or any other story you read in our publication.


Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Featured Download

Featured Articles

ADaPT connects employers with highly skilled young workers

Help wanted. That’s what many tech companies across Canada are saying, and research shows...

Unlocking Transformation: IoT and Generative AI Powered by Cloud

Amidst economic fluctuations and disruptive forces, Canadian businesses are steering through uncharted waters. To...

Related Tech News

Tech Jobs

Our experienced team of journalists and bloggers bring you engaging in-depth interviews, videos and content targeted to IT professionals and line-of-business executives.

Tech Companies Hiring Right Now