Joint statement: Beginning of negotiations between Mexico and the European Union on PNR data transmission
With the objective of identifying high risk passengers and to detect drugs, weapons and cash in excess of legal limits, since 2012 Mexico established the legal obligation of air, maritime and railway international passenger transport companies, to transmit to the Customs authorities the data of passengers and crew, prior to the arrival of the means of transport to its national territory.
In March 2015, the Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos i, undertook with the SAT that the European Commission would propose to the Council of Ministers of the European Union, the opening of negotiations with Mexico for an EU-Mexico Agreement on PNR, considering Mexico as a strategic partner of the EU. The Council has given such a mandate to the Commission on 23 June 2015.
On 14 July 2015, the Head of the Tax Administration Service (SAT), Aristoteles Nuñez and the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos met to formally launch the negotiations towards a bilateral agreement between Mexico and the European Union for the transfer of PNR data to Mexico for the purposes of preventing terrorism and transnational organised crimes.
Furthermore, acknowledging the effort towards the conclusion of such an agreement, and with a view to provide legal certainty to airline companies, the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit of Mexico has determined that the provision of PNR data will be effective as of the entry into force of the EU-Mexico PNR Agreement. The European airlines will transmit API data in accordance with international conventions.
Currently, there are 17 main European Airlines that have regular operations with Mexico, including Air France, British Airways, Iberia, KLM Royal and Dutch Lufthansa.
During the meeting, the Head Commissioner of the National Institute for Personal Information, Transparency, And Data Accessibility and Protection of Mexico, Ximena Puente de la Mora, was present, as well as the Commissioners Arely Cano Guadiana, Eugenio Monterrey y Francisco Acuña Llamas.
STATEMENT/15/5374
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