EU ready to give U.S some access to police data

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union signaled on Thursday it could give the United States limited access to its police databases in a bid to resolve a long-running visa row with Washington.

The offer, likely to stir up European concerns about data privacy, would be an attempt to get all 27 EU member states into the U.S. visa-free system. But it would apply only if the EU received similar data from Washington, a senior EU official said.

"We are prepared to sit down with our American friends and discuss on a strictly reciprocal basis what information may be needed to be shared to include our member states in the visa waiver system," Jonathan Faull, the EU executive's director for justice and home affairs, told a news conference.

Among its databases, the EU stores asylum seekers' fingerprints and plans to do the same with visa applicants. Countries in its Schengen border-free area also have a database for people searched by police and for stolen vehicles.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080417/ts_nm/eu_usa_security_dc

[LynnTheDem]

1. Don't do it.

America's promises, treaties, etc aren't worth shit. One would think the world would know that by now.