Passenger Name Record (PNR)

Online module executive summary

Passenger name record (PNR) data is the information provided by air passengers and collected by air carriers when booking flights and carrying out the check-in process. The data is used by the air carriers for their own commercial and operational purposes, to manage their air transportation services.

In 2018, an EU mechanism for processing PNR data was initiated. This enables law enforcement officials to access PNR information to support their investigations and intelligence analysis of serious crime and terrorism, while complying with the rules on data protection.

By collecting, evaluating, analysing, and matching the PNR data with law enforcement databases or against pre-established criteria, individuals involved in terrorist crimes and serious crime can be detected and monitored when they travel. PNR data therefore provides information that can be used to improve the internal security of the Member States, and to help safeguard the lives of their citizens.

The module is targeted at those police and customs officers, border guards, judiciary staff and other relevant law enforcement officials who are interested or involved in the use of PNR data to combat serious crime and/or terrorism.

The aim of the module is to outline the purpose, scope, and possibilities of PNR. On completion, the user will understand:

• the legal framework and data protection aspects related to PNR data;
• the flow of PNR data and the mechanisms by which the data can be used;
• the information contained in a PNR data/PNRGOV message;
• the use of PNR data by law enforcement in combating serious organised crime and terrorism;
• the use of predetermined criteria using PNR data to track and identify gaps in the movements of monitored people, or help the competent authorities to improve their investigations.

The module consists of an introductory chapter, seven topic chapters and a PNR-related glossary of terms and abbreviations. There are also quizzes to test your knowledge and understanding. A certificate and a badge will be provided to those who successfully complete all the quizzes.

Following the introduction, the topic chapters are:

• Chapter 2: Legal basis
• Chapter 3: Data protection
• Chapter 4: Understanding PNR data
• Chapter 5: Processing PNR data
• Chapter 6: Use of PNR by law enforcement
• Chapter 7: Intelligence analysis of PNR data
• Chapter 8: Practical examples

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