PNR agreement fills legal vacuum but does not address key concerns

3.45.28pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 6th Oct 2006

Graham Watson, leader of the Liberal and Democrat group in the European Parliament characterised the deal struck this morning on airline passenger name records (PNR) with the US as the "least worst option" under the circumstances.

"Liberals and Democrats however remain very concerned about the whole approach of data retention in this and in other fields as it seems clear from recent statements by the US Director for Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, that the current American administration is determined to extract ever more personal data and share it with the wider intelligence community. It is important that we agree where we stand here. We cannot continue as we are."