Ministry of Home Affairs strengthens security through introduction of Passenger Name Record (PNR)

Accordingly, the process which began in 2016 with the approval of a directive from the European Commission that obliged Member States to begin the corresponding internal regulatory formalities has now culminated, which aims to create an essential instrument to fight terrorism and organised crime.

Hence, the PNR system has been functioning since last Friday, following approval in September of the Constitutional Law on the Use of Data from the Passenger Name Record, to prevent, detect, investigate and try terrorist crimes and serious criminal offences.

In its first day of operation, the ONIP checked a total of 165 flights (97 arrivals and 68 departures), which carried 7,802 passengers and crew.

The treatment of the data from the Passenger Name Record by the ONIP will help guarantee "the protection of life and citizen security, which constitutes the main aim of the European Union's area of freedom, security and justice", as set out in the preamble of the Constitutional Law regulation its functioning.

The Constitutional Law also specifies that "the treatment of PNR data will help improve the response to the threat of terrorism and serious crime by cross-checking such data with available and pertinent data bases".

Non official translation