LOC21:25
18:25 GMT
BRUSSELS, Nov 27 (KUNA) - The European Commission Wednesday adopted the
Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (TFTP) evaluation report with the US and
a report on the joint review of the US Passenger Name Record (PNR) Agreement.
A report was also adopted on a European Terrorist Finance Tracking System
(TFTS), concluding that the establishment of such a system is not expected at
this stage.
Cecilia Malmstr?m, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, told a press
conference that "The TFTP and PNR agreements regulate the transfer and use of
personal data, and provide effective safeguards to protect the fundamental
rights of European citizens. "
"We have taken the allegations very seriously of possible US access to
financial data outside the scope of the TFTP agreement and, as promised to the
European Parliament and the European citizens, we have asked the US to shed
full light on this issue" she said.
"Today indeed we adopted a number of reports and documents on the UE-US
cooperation on the Home affairs and justice area and this included
communication developed jointly by Vice-president Reding, myself and High
Representative Ashton, sitting out the challenges and risks following the
revelation of the US intelligence collection program as well as the next steps
to be taken to address this concern," she noted.
"We put forward today an agenda for how the US can work with the European
Union to build trust to reassure the citizens that their data will be
protected. In order to build trust we need to do a number of issues. We are,
as you know, working in data protection agreement within the EU, we are
working on an umbrella agreement with the United States," she said.
"We are also discussing with the US how the ongoing reform discussions in
the Congress and the Senate in Washington can also build a solution to the
concerns that the European citizens have," added Malmstrom. (end)
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