EU hopes for new pact with US on passenger data

BRUSSELS, Oct 1 (Reuters) The European Union hopes to reach an agreement with the United States on a new pact on sharing of airline passenger data next Friday, the European Commission said today.

A Commission statement said a draft agreement sent to the European side by US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff yesterday may be discussed by EU ministers in Luxembourg next Friday, ''in the hope of having an agreement the same day''.

US and European negotiators failed yesterday to reach a deal to share air passenger data before an existing pact expired, but both sides said they would try to reach an agreement quickly.

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