Date published: 2006/09/30
The BBC says:
Talks between the United States and the European Union on sharing confidential airline passenger information have broken down, according to EU officials.
But officials say there will be no disruption to transatlantic flights.
After 9/11, US authorities demanded that airlines should provide personal passenger data for all inbound flights.
But the subsequent US-EU agreement was ruled illegal by the highest European court. Saturday was the deadline for a new deal.
A European Commission spokesman said that a legal black hole could be created by the lack of agreement.
"There is no agreement. There is a legal vacuum as of midnight tonight," said EU Transport Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd.
As a result, airlines refusing to provide passenger lists to the US may lose landing rights in the country, but those that do risk facing legal action under EU member states' data protection legislation.
Unbelievable. Of course the US is being completely over the top (as usual) but the EU should probably just bite the bullet on this one. Some day the US will not be run by a group of lunatics, and Britain will not be run by a US apologist, and we will all be able to return to normal.
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