Tom Griffin (London, OK): The Government is determined to press ahead with its e-borders plan to count travellers in an out of the UK, despite running into problems with the European Union, The Guardian reports this morning.
A draft European agreement would allow the collection of 'Passenger Name Records' (PNR) data, but only for the purpose of fighting terrorism and organised crime.
"As currently drafted there is a real risk that the EU passenger name record [PNR] proposal would degrade e-Borders by prohibiting the use of PNR data for combating immigration offences. We will therefore lobby strongly for the framework decision not to preclude the use of PNR for this purpose," said a Home Office response yesterday.
The statement came in answer to a House of Lords report in June which warned:
The Government should be aware that, by attempting to extend the purposes beyond what is acceptable to other Member States and to the European Parliament, they may be forced to opt out of the Framework Decision.
They may then find that, on balance, the ability to use PNR data to assist in the combating of more routine crime, including immigration, revenue and customs offences, is insufficient compensation for an inability to use data collected by other Member States.
Interestingly, The Register reports that Britain can block an agreement under current EU rules, but would not be able to do so under the Lisbon Treaty.
