EU justice ministers discuss citizens' privacy

Brussels - European Union justice ministers met in Brussels on Friday to discuss how to share information about their citizens while safeguarding their privacy. Personal data protection has become a major issue in Europe as governments, prodded by the EU's executive, the Commission, step up cooperation in the fight against crime - and terrorism in particular. One proposal by the Commission involves a European Passenger Name Record (PNR), granting authorities in all member states access to share details about people's flight reservations. Another concerns a register of foreigners entering or leaving the 27-member bloc that would ultimately include details such as their photograph, fingerprints and even a scan of the retina of their eyes. Civil liberties advocates worry that such initiatives may curb individual freedoms. The EU justice council in Brussels was also expected to step up cooperation in the fight against the trafficking in human being and against so-called 'cybercrime'. However, governments have already clashed over plans by EU Justice, Freedom and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini to shut down internet sites that incite terrorist activity, with some saying it risked limiting freedom of speech. Council sources said the ministers had already reached an agreement during morning talks on a draft directive designed to promote the amicable settlement of cross-border commercial disputes, for instance when a good is purchased from another member state over the internet. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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