US, EU near security pact on access to private data: report

The United States and the European Union have achieved  a breakthrough over letting law enforcement and security agencies on either side of the Atlantic obtaining private information like credit card transactions and travel histories about people, newspaper reports citing a government report said.

While the US and the EU have been at odds over access to personal data, which amounts to an infringement of personal freedom, the potential agreement, if signed, would facilitate counterterrorism operations by  enforcement agencies in the US, the EU and other countries, The New York Times reported.

EU and the US have been engaged in discussions to resolve differences over the issue since February 2007, and the Bush administration wanted to resolve the issues before leaving office in January.

The report also said most of the draft text for 12 major issues at the heart of a "binding international agreement," have been completed. However, the two sides are yet to resolve the issue of  governments' handling of the personal data, it said.

The United States and Europe had disagreements over information-sharing after the September 11 attacks. The US authorities had demanded access to EU data on airline passengers and from a consortium, known as Swift, which tracks global bank transfers. EU denied this and the current talks are aimed at finding a common ground and avoid future confrontations.

The pact would allow European governments and companies to lawfully exchange personal information with the United States and vice versa.

The agreement will lift barriers to sending personal information to the United States and the European Union, but it will also open up information that reveals race, religion, political opinion, health or ''sexual life'' to government and possibly private scrutiny, points out advocates of privacy rights.