RTE Reports that the Advocate General said sharing flight data with the US is illegal. Well done to the EU Parliament for protecting EU citizens by trying to get this stopped. Typical that this was pushed into Law when Ireland had the EU Presidency, like they tried to do with software patents.
An agreement by EU governments to give the US Homeland Security Department details of all passengers flying between the EU and the US has been cast in doubt by one of the EU’s top law officers.
The Advocate General, the top legal advisor of the European Court of Justice, says that last year’s air passenger data agreement must be annulled because it breached EU law.
So which do you want? Sharing passenger lists, or the visa waver program?
Do not want to share passenger lists? Fine. Then every time you want to visit the US you will have to trot off to the US embassy in person and apply for a tourist visa. And then maybe go back for an interview. And then return a few weeks later to pick it up.
Ending the visa-waiver program will not inconvenience the US, just everyone who wants to visit.