EU, US expect to discuss privacy during free trade talks

The European Union and the United States are expected to resume Free Trade talks in parallel with discussions on "data protection and privacy rights" from next week. Lithuania, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said the process would start with a meeting on Monday. However, the head of the 28-nation bloc’s executive Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said broader concerns about US intelligence activities would have to be raised by member states individually because they fall under the category of national security. Reports last weekend that the US National Security Agency bugged EU diplomatic offices in Washington and infiltrated its computer network angered European officials. The bad blood could take a toll on the Passenger Name Record program, in which Europe provides the US with airline passenger information, and the Terrorist Financing Tracking Program. Both accords followed the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the US.