Parliament consents to EU–Canada PNR data agreement

Decision

The European Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement between Canada and the European Union on the transfer and processing of Passenger Name Record data (draft Council decision 08897/2024) and instructed its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of Canada. The committee responsible adopted its recommendation on 18.2.2025 with a final committee vote of 54 in favour, 10 against and 4 abstentions.

What Changes

The Agreement establishes a legal framework for the transfer and processing of PNR data between the EU and Canada intended to support the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of serious crime and terrorism. The text and accompanying assessments state that it contains safeguards on non‑discrimination, data retention and security, oversight, transparency and passenger information, individual access and correction, and administrative and judicial redress, and that the European Data Protection Supervisor issued an opinion finding necessary safeguards and providing recommendations.

Who Is Affected

The Agreement directly affects the European Union and Canada, law enforcement and judicial authorities engaged in international cooperation, and passengers whose PNR data are transferred and processed.