EU negotiating mandate for US visa waivers must not erode privacy rights

5.12.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 23rd Apr 2008

The US visa waiver scheme was on the political agenda of the European Parliament today following agreement last Friday on an EU negotiating mandate. Recently the US has been negotiating bilaterally with a number of the newer Member States who do not benefit from the US visa waiver at present in return for concessions on further security measures, including the transfer of personal data and armed air marshalls. Liberals and Democrats raised the issue last month as undermining EU data privacy law and the common negotiating position of the European Union on matters such as PNR.

European Liberal Democrats welcomed the adoption of an EU negotiating mandate but expressed concern over adequacy of the data protection arrangements, demanded MEP involvement and insisted that the EU has more to gain in the long term from a strong, united Europe that negotiates on behalf of all its citizens. In that respect the negotiations should also address the current US travel ban on HIV positive persons.

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford, EP rapporteur on the EU Visa Information System, wanted assurances that the US would not acquire access to EU border control databases:

"At a time of warnings about the frightening spread of the Mafia as well as terrorist conspiracies, why is the EU going down this blind alley of mass surveillance of the 99.9% of the public which is innocent, when the real need is to target the 0.1% of travellers who might be dangerous or criminal through intelligence-led policing and effective cross-border cooperation between law enforcement agencies?"