EU-Switzerland PNR Data Agreement Enters into Force for Counterterrorism

The EU-Switzerland agreement on passenger name record data transfer for terrorism prevention was signed and concluded, strengthening cross-border security cooperation.

EU-Switzerland PNR Deal: Plugging a Major Gap in European Security Architecture

The Council Decision (EU) 2026/643 of February 23, 2026, confirmed the signing and conclusion of the agreement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation on the transfer of Passenger Name Record data for the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime. The agreement fills a significant gap in European security architecture: Switzerland, while surrounded by EU member states and deeply integrated into the European security space through Schengen and other frameworks, had not previously been party to the EU's PNR data sharing regime that allows member states to share flight passenger data for security screening purposes.

PNR data — information that airlines collect about passengers including travel itineraries, payment details, baggage information, and contact details — has become one of the primary tools used by EU security services to identify individuals who may pose terrorism or serious crime risks when they cross international borders. The EU's Passenger Name Record Directive of 2016 requires airlines operating flights to and from EU territory to provide this data to national authorities, who can then screen it against watch lists and share relevant findings with counterparts in other EU states.

Switzerland's integration into this system is particularly significant because its airports — notably Zurich and Geneva — are major European transit hubs through which significant volumes of intercontinental passenger traffic passes before connecting to EU destinations. Without a PNR agreement, Swiss-transiting passengers were a potential gap in the data coverage that EU security services could use to detect suspicious travel patterns. The new agreement closes that gap while including appropriate data protection safeguards required under Swiss and EU law.