Release Date: February 10, 2010
Representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the European Union (EU) held a joint review of the 2007 U.S.-EU Passenger Name Record (PNR) agreement on February 8-9, 2010, in Washington, D.C.
The U.S.-EU PNR agreement sets forth commitments for the processing and transfer of PNR for flights between EU Member States and the United States. The agreement includes a provision for periodic joint review. The present review is the first review under the 2007 PNR agreement but the two sides conducted a review in 2005 under a previous U.S.-EU PNR agreement.
During the course of the comprehensive, two-day review, an EU expert delegation led by the European Commission observed first hand how PNR contributes to DHS's layered approach to border management and aviation security and how DHS handles PNR data. The review participants met with program managers and everyday users of the information at DHS's National Targeting Center and Dulles International Airport to ensure a complete perspective. Compliance with the agreement was the focus of the discussions.
The EU expert delegation will issue a report reflecting its analysis resulting from the two days of site visits and discussions. DHS will have the opportunity to comment on this report. The report will be issued in the near future.