Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06VIENNA2673
2006-09-08 08:37:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
AIRLINES AND DATA PROTECTION: AUSTRIA WILL NOT INITIATE
how-tonull Dayna R Robison 09/20/2006 11:17:04 AM From DB/Inbox: Dayna R Robison Cable Text: UNCLAS SENSITIVE VIENNA 02673 SIPDIS CXVIENNA: ACTION: POLEC INFO: AMB REVIEW PAO DCM DISSEMINATION: ECON CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: ECONPOL:GEPHILLIPS DRAFTED: ECONPOL:ASCHRATT E: CLEARED: ECONPOL:PRNELSON; HJANOTA VZCZCVII106 RR RUEHC RHEFHLC RULSDMK RUCNMEM RUEHBS DE RUEHVI #2673 2510837 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 080837Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4862 RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHDC RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
UNCLAS VIENNA 002673
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE, SIDPIS
STATE FOR EB/TRA/OTP, EUR/ERA, AND EUR/AGS
DHS FOR MSCARDAVILLE
DOT FOR KLANEY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR PTER AU
SUBJECT: AIRLINES AND DATA PROTECTION: AUSTRIA WILL NOT INITIATE
ACTION, BUT WILL FOLLOW EU CONSENSUS
REF: STATE 132268
UNCLAS VIENNA 002673
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE, SIDPIS
STATE FOR EB/TRA/OTP, EUR/ERA, AND EUR/AGS
DHS FOR MSCARDAVILLE
DOT FOR KLANEY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR PTER AU
SUBJECT: AIRLINES AND DATA PROTECTION: AUSTRIA WILL NOT INITIATE
ACTION, BUT WILL FOLLOW EU CONSENSUS
REF: STATE 132268
1. (SBU) Eckhard Riedl, Deputy Head of the Department for Data
Processing in the Federal Chancery, told us recently that the GoA is
not/not planning any additional legislation on or registration of
passenger data transmission to third countries. Riedl said that,
for practical reasons, the substance of the EU's draft PNR agreement
should remain unchanged. According to Riedl, the GoA is not
interested in broadening the scope of the agreement.
2. (SBU) During a meeting with Emboffs, Waltraut Kotschy, Head of
the Austrian Data Privacy Commission (an independent agency),
painted a somewhat different picture. Kotschy acknowledged that the
EU's Article 29 Data Protection Working Group is currently
discussing the "No Fly" List and Selectee Screening. Kotschy
maintained that Articles 25 and 26 of the Data Protection Directive
definitely governed the transmission of passenger data to third
countries. The Working Group is striving to reach a common
perspective on the "No Fly" list issue, but Kotschy remained
non-committal on possible outcomes of the deliberations. Kotschy
stressed that in her role on the Austrian Data Privacy Commission
and on the EU Working Group, she could not speak for the GoA. She
added, however, that she would recommend including these issues in
any negotiations on the revised PNR agreement.
3. (SBU) Comment: Traditionally, Austria has been among the
"hardliners" within the EU with regard to strict data privacy rules.
The view of Kotschy, who represented the GoA on these issues until
two years ago, is indicative of this tendency. While it appears the
GOA does not currently plan to promote the "No fly" list or Selectee
Screening as an issue with the U.S., we do expect that the GoA will
follow the lead of larger EU Member States on this issue. End
comment.
McCaw
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE, SIDPIS
STATE FOR EB/TRA/OTP, EUR/ERA, AND EUR/AGS
DHS FOR MSCARDAVILLE
DOT FOR KLANEY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR PTER AU
SUBJECT: AIRLINES AND DATA PROTECTION: AUSTRIA WILL NOT INITIATE
ACTION, BUT WILL FOLLOW EU CONSENSUS
REF: STATE 132268
1. (SBU) Eckhard Riedl, Deputy Head of the Department for Data
Processing in the Federal Chancery, told us recently that the GoA is
not/not planning any additional legislation on or registration of
passenger data transmission to third countries. Riedl said that,
for practical reasons, the substance of the EU's draft PNR agreement
should remain unchanged. According to Riedl, the GoA is not
interested in broadening the scope of the agreement.
2. (SBU) During a meeting with Emboffs, Waltraut Kotschy, Head of
the Austrian Data Privacy Commission (an independent agency),
painted a somewhat different picture. Kotschy acknowledged that the
EU's Article 29 Data Protection Working Group is currently
discussing the "No Fly" List and Selectee Screening. Kotschy
maintained that Articles 25 and 26 of the Data Protection Directive
definitely governed the transmission of passenger data to third
countries. The Working Group is striving to reach a common
perspective on the "No Fly" list issue, but Kotschy remained
non-committal on possible outcomes of the deliberations. Kotschy
stressed that in her role on the Austrian Data Privacy Commission
and on the EU Working Group, she could not speak for the GoA. She
added, however, that she would recommend including these issues in
any negotiations on the revised PNR agreement.
3. (SBU) Comment: Traditionally, Austria has been among the
"hardliners" within the EU with regard to strict data privacy rules.
The view of Kotschy, who represented the GoA on these issues until
two years ago, is indicative of this tendency. While it appears the
GOA does not currently plan to promote the "No fly" list or Selectee
Screening as an issue with the U.S., we do expect that the GoA will
follow the lead of larger EU Member States on this issue. End
comment.
McCaw