Such agreements are a condition for granting citizens of newer這種協議的一個條件給予公民的更新 European Union 歐洲聯盟 member states the right to enter the United States without visas, and for maintaining that right for older EU members.會員國有權進入美國無需簽證，並為維護這一權利為老年人的歐盟成員國。 US citizens already enjoy such a right when traveling to Europe.美國公民已經享有這種權利時，前往歐洲。

Senior Bush administration officials said the data exchange is crucial for spotting dangerous people before they enter the United States and for furthering criminal and terrorist investigations.布什政府高級官員說，數據交換是至關重要的檢舉危險的人民之前，他們進入美國並為進一步犯罪和恐怖調查。

The United States and the EU have been negotiating a separate, broad agreement on commercial data protection.美國和歐盟已單獨談判，達成廣泛協議的商業數據保護。 But European privacy officials are concerned that the emerging bilateral pacts will not adequately protect people’s privacy.但歐洲的隱私官員擔心，新興的雙邊協議將不會充分保障市民的私隱。 And US privacy advocates are concerned about the potential transfer of sensitive information on US citizens to Europe.美國和隱私倡導者關心的潛在轉移敏感的資料，對美國公民到歐洲。

The bilateral pacts augment the airline passenger record agreement reached last year with the EU, which requires airlines flying here from abroad to transfer data on passengers to US security agencies.雙邊協議增加航空公司的客運記錄所達成的協議，去年與歐盟，這就要求航空公司飛行這裡來自國外的數據傳輸對乘客對美國的安全機構。 They also complement a series of bilateral agreements to exchange screening data on known or suspected terrorists, which exclude data on race, religious beliefs and other sensitive items.他們還補充了一系列雙邊協議，以交換數據的篩選對已知或可疑的恐怖主義，排除數據，種族，宗教信仰和其他敏感項目。

“So if we arrest someone who’sa German national and we take his fingerprints, we do have the opportunity to send those fingerprints to Germany to say, ‘Do you know anything about this person?’ ” said Stewart A. Baker, assistant secretary for policy at the “因此，如果我們逮捕有人who'sa德語的國家和我們採取他的指紋，我們有機會向那些指紋，德國說， '你知不知道任何有關這個人嗎？表示： ”史都華答：貝克，助理國務卿政策在 Department of Homeland Security 國土安全部 . 。 “European governments are entering into these agreements much more readily than they were four, five years ago, because concerns about terrorism are no longer confined to one side of the Atlantic.” “歐洲各國政府正進入這些協議更容易比他們四，五年前，因為對恐怖主義的關注已不再局限於一個大西洋彼岸的” 。

But some European lawmakers fear that, taken together, the accords will lead to a far-reaching exchange of personal data without appropriate safeguards and that eventually the United States will seek access to Europe-wide databases.但歐洲的一些國會議員擔心，兩者合計，該協定將導致一個影響深遠的交流，個人資料沒有適當的保障措施和最終，美國將尋求獲得全歐洲數據庫。 “We seem to be opening the floodgates, left, right and center,” said Sophie in’t Veld, a “我們似乎是開放閘門，左，右和中心，說： ”梁劉柔芬in't veld ， European Parliament 歐洲議會 member from the Netherlands.會員來自荷蘭。 “It seems to me there are hardly any restrictions left.” “在我看來，有幾乎沒有任何限制，離開” 。

In March, the United States and Germany reached a preliminary agreement on sharing access to fingerprints, DNA files and other information for the prevention and combating of serious crime.今年3月，美國和德國達成了一項初步協議，分享獲得的指紋， DNA的檔案和其他資料，為預防和打擊嚴重犯罪。 The pact is expected to be the model for other bilateral agreements, European officials said.該協議預計將在模型的其他雙邊協定，歐洲官員說。 The United States is also holding talks with central and eastern European countries such as Estonia, Hungary and the Czech Republic.美國還舉行會談，與中歐和東歐國家，如愛沙尼亞，匈牙利和捷克共和國。

Access to fingerprint files will be on a “hit, no hit” basis, explained Peter Schaar, German data protection commissioner.進入指紋檔案會被一個“安打，無打”的基礎上，解釋黃匡源schaar ，德國的數據保護專員。 If one country asks the other to check a fingerprint and there is a match, or hit, the inquiring country would need to follow up with a request for more information on the subject’s identity.如果一個國家要求的其他檢查指紋和有一個匹配，或襲來時，查詢國家將需要跟進與更多信息的要求就此事的身份。

The agreement, which was described by two European officials, also allows for the transmission of “personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinion or religious or other beliefs, trade union membership or information concerning health and sexual life” in cases where they are “particularly relevant to the purposes of this agreement.” It defines personal data as “any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.”該協定，這是所描述的兩個歐洲官員，還允許傳輸的“個人資料揭示種族或人種，政治見解或宗教或其他信仰，工會成員或有關健康和性生活”的情況下，他們是“尤其是有關本協定的目的” 。它界定了個人資料，作為“有關的任何資料，以確定或可識別的自然人” 。

The agreement also specifies that the parties, “recognizing the special sensitivity of the above categories of personal data, shall take suitable safeguards, in particular, appropriate security measures, in order to protect such data.”該協議還規定，各締約方， “認識到特別的敏感性，上述類別的個人資料的，應當採取適當的保障措施，特別是適當的保安措施，為了保護這些數據” 。

Baker said that means the United States would not hand over data on a suspect’s religious beliefs unless it were relevant to an investigation, as in a terrorism plot involving Islamic extremists.貝克說，這意味著美國不會交出的數據疑犯的宗教信仰，除非它有關的一項調查，在一個恐怖主義的陰謀，涉及伊斯蘭極端分子。

He said the United States has agreed to limit the purpose for which the data are sought, not to share it with other governments and not to retain data if they are no longer useful — if there is no match on a fingerprint, for instance.他說，美國已同意限制的目的，其中的數據要求，而不是分享它與其他各國政府和不保留的數據，如果他們不再是有用的-如果沒有匹配的對指紋，例如。 He said errors in records will be corrected.他說，錯誤的記錄，都將得到更正。

But Schaar, who is independent from the government, said he found no “clear rules on purpose limitation” or on the storage period.但schaar ，誰是獨立於政府，他說，沒有發現任何“明確的規則，對限制的目的” ，或貯存期。 “First,” he said, “which data are of concern is not really completely clear. “首先， ”他說： “數據令人關注的是，並非真正完全明確。 Second, who are the competent authorities on the US side?第二，誰是主管機關對美方？ Third, and most important, there is a lack of independent supervision in the United States over data protection.” In European states, independent privacy commissions safeguard the privacy rights of citizens, he said.第三，最重要的一點，是有沒有獨立的監督在美國的數據保護。 “在歐洲國家，獨立委員會的隱私，維護隱私公民的權利，他說。

David Sobel, senior counsel for the大衛索貝爾，資深大律師為 Electronic Frontier Foundation 電子疆界基金會 , said transparency is an issue.說，透明度是一個問題。 “It’s all well and good to say the Estonian government will provide a right of access and redress, but under what circumstances is an American citizen going to know that the Estonian government has even received his information?” “它的一切，以及和良好的說，愛沙尼亞政府將提供一個有權查閱和補救，但在什麼情況下是一個美國公民要知道，愛沙尼亞政府甚至還收到他的信息” ？

Germany’s president is expected to authorize the signing of the German agreement soon.德國的總統，可望授權簽署的協議，德國很快。 Its Parliament must pass implementing legislation.其國會必須通過立法實施。

One official from a European state seeking visa-free status said he hopes the pacts will allow his country to obtain such status by the end of the year.一名官員從一個歐洲國家尋求免簽證入境待遇的地位說，他希望協議將允許他的國家取得這種地位，在今年年底。 “The United States is a close ally of ours,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the talks’ sensitivity. “美國的親密盟友，我們的”官員表示，誰發言的情況下不願透露姓名的，因為這次會談的敏感性。 “Obviously, counterterrorism and the fight against crime is a huge priority for the US and my government, as well.” “很顯然，反恐和打擊犯罪工作是一項龐大的優先事項，美國和我國政府，以及” 。