# CE2004078EN.01091401.xml

| 27.3.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 78/914 |
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27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 78/914

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(2004/C 78 E/0966)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0014/04

by Johanna Boogerd-Quaak (ELDR) to the Commission

(9 January 2004)

Subject:   Relationship between cancelled flights and PNR

Subject:

In mid-December the US and the European Commission reached an agreement in principle on the transfer of passenger data to the US. The deal included agreement on the amount of data to be provided, the storage of data, information for passengers and legal proceedings in the US. The agreement has still to be debated by the Council and the European Parliament. In the meantime, the US, which still receives all unfiltered information concerning passengers, has blocked six Air France flights.

With a view to the debate in the European Parliament:

| 1. | How does this action fit with the agreement and in particular the conditions agreed? |
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1.

How does this action fit with the agreement and in particular the conditions agreed?

| 2. | Can the unilateral cancelling of flights — even following consultations between Foreign Ministers — be regarded as contravening international trade agreements? |
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2.

Can the unilateral cancelling of flights — even following consultations between Foreign Ministers — be regarded as contravening international trade agreements?

| 3. | Does the agreement, which has not yet been submitted to Parliament, include provisions laying down conditions under which flights may be cancelled? |
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3.

Does the agreement, which has not yet been submitted to Parliament, include provisions laying down conditions under which flights may be cancelled?

| 4. | How are such decisions taken, having regard to the following aspects:






  — | wider EU-US relations; |
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4.

How are such decisions taken, having regard to the following aspects:

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wider EU-US relations;

| — | safety and confidence of passengers; |
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safety and confidence of passengers;

| — | cost aspect for airlines? |
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cost aspect for airlines?

| 5. | How does cooperation between European and American security authorities work in this connection? |
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5.

How does cooperation between European and American security authorities work in this connection?

| 6. | How are airlines informed, and what responsibility do they have? |
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6.

How are airlines informed, and what responsibility do they have?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(16 February 2004)

(16 February 2004)

The Commission would like to refer the Honourable Member to the Declaration made by the Vice-President of the Commission who is in charge of Energy and Transport, on behalf of the Commission, on the 12 January 2004, during the debate on aviation security which took place during the plenary session of the Parliament in Strasbourg.

In particular, the Commission made it clear that there was no link between the agreement reached with United States (US) Customs and Border Protection on Passenger Name Records (PNR) in December 2003 and the actions of the US authorities over the Christmas period, which led to a number of flight cancellations. Indeed, the Commission understands that the threat alert emanated not from PNR data, but rather from information gathered by the US intelligence services.

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