EU projects
1. PNR – Further implementation, maintenance and upgrades
Terrorism and serious crime regularly involve international passenger traffic.
At EU level, the PNR Directive was adopted in April 2016. This directive requires all Member States to set up a Passenger Information Unit (PIU), from which competent services can process passenger data. In addition, the EU directive stipulates that Member States must provide PNR units (read PIUs) with sufficient resources to properly perform its tasks (processing passenger data).
Since 2016, the BelPIU first analysed the needs in an initial phase of the EU co-funded project and then set up a new service at a suitable secure location, as well as an ICT structure for the collection and processing of passenger data. This service has been operational since January 2018.
The current phase of this EU co-funded project consists of remaining compliant with the obligations of the PNR Directive by maintaining the systems for the collection, storage and analysis of passenger data, including the necessary upgrades/updates of existing systems and the realisation of not yet developed functionalities foreseen in the EU Directive.
The project also includes continuous improvement of the PNR system to increase the efficiency of the work of the services that depend on it.
2. Establishment of a European Network of Passenger Information Units
Passenger data screening is eminently international. There is both operational and strategic cooperation. The NTTC manages the EU-funded ‘PIU Network’ project, which serves to bring PIUs in Europe closer together. The project does this by supporting the organisation of the Informal Working Group PNR (IWG) financially, logistically and practically, but also by facilitating knowledge sharing through formal and informal consultations, providing relevant training and coordinating positions.
In other words, the PIU network is an umbrella for various initiatives launched by member states and organisations, for which the EU project provides support in various areas. In this way, it responds to the need to promote, expand and improve coordination and cooperation between the various EU member states on travel data. The current project runs from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2025 with a possible extension thereafter.
3. Development of additional functionalities to fully implement the EU API Directive (2004)
The NTTC also manages BMVI project funds to a limited extent to implement the Advance Passenger Information Directive (2004). The API Directive aims to collect identity data of travellers entering the Union via extra-EU air travel. This data can be used to strengthen border control and fight illegal immigration. The new regulations will fundamentally change data collection, technically but also operationally, by, for example, collecting API for intra-EU flights to close important security gaps. The regulations were negotiated during the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in so-called trilogues, in which Belgium represented the position of the member states and had to compromise with the European Parliament on the final texts. The NTTC was thus at the basis of a much improved European system that will be rolled out in the coming years.
4. Creation of the Belgian ETIAS national Unit
Since 2018, the NTTC has set up a project team to follow up European legislative and technical developments, to defend the interests of the future Belgian Unit at the European institutions and to supervise the activities undertaken within this framework at the national level: drafting of the Belgian legislative and procedural framework, national IT developments, preparations in terms of logistics and HR...
To cover certain expenses linked to these activities, the NTTC initially enjoyed support from the ISF Fund (2019-2023) before receiving financial support through the BMVI Fund in the 2021-2027 programming.
