European parliament debates new passenger screening measures in wake of Paris and Brussels bombings

The European Parliament will today debate a scheme forcing airlines to collect information on everyone flying in and out of Europe, as part of new push to tighten security in the wake of the Paris and Brussels bombings.

The debate, ahead of a vote on Thursday, would use airline records to screen passengers before departure to identify potential terror suspects and track their movements.

The Passenger Name Record (PNR) plans were first proposed in 2011 but MEPs have twice voted it down over privacy and data protection concerns. However, new guarantees on the use of the data appear to have won around key MEPs, and officials are optimistic that the measure will be passed this time.

Britain, France and Germany are keen supporters of the law, which they say will help law enforcement authorities fight terrorism and other serious crime thanks to better oversight over who enters and leaves their countries. Police looking for terrorism suspects would have access to data that many European governments and security experts consider essential in tracking terrorists returning to Europe from troublespots like Syria.

Under the plan, airlines operating flights in or out of EU countries would be obliged to send all details provided by travellers such as name, itinerary, bank card details, home address and meal preference to authorities.

The data would be stored for six months so authorities could also use it to pick up suspicious travel patterns such as people coming to and from Syria, where ISIS is based. All flights coming in and out of the EU would be covered by the scheme, but governments would be given the option of whether or not to record information for passenger taking flights within the continent.

Britain is among a few countries that already have a PNR system, but others have yet to agree it. Tory MEP and former home officer minister Timothy Kirkhope, who is steering the legislation through the European Parliament, says Europe’s patchwork use of PNR creates weak points that terrorists can exploit. “I believe the EU needs this tool urgently,” he said. “The patterns of behaviour that can be picked up from PNR data have proven invaluable in the UK where a national PNR system is in place.”

Mr Kirkhope amended his plans to win over skeptical legislators, beefing up data protection provisions. While national authorities would have the right to request data from other countries to support a specific investigation, sensitive data such as a person's race, religion, political opinion or health would be not shared.

The bill has been criticised by human rights defenders who argue that mass surveillance does little to prevent terrorism, but undermines civil liberties. Privacy advocates point out that the suspects in last year’s Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, brothers Chérif and Said Kouachi, were known to police, as were the killers of British soldier Lee Rigby.