The European Union is negotiating a new security deal with the United States that could expand access to personal data. The plan could allow U.S. authorities to check information held in national databases across EU member states.
The information could include biometric data, which can identify people through unique body features. The talks have raised privacy concerns among European officials and data protection experts. The negotiations are part of the proposed Enhanced Border Security Partnership, or EBSP. The framework connects to the United States Visa Waiver Program and its security requirements.
Under the proposed deal, the U.S. wants European countries to share more information for security checks. The talks could affect how authorities check travellers, visa applicants, and people crossing international borders.
The European Parliament’s research service said the U.S. has set a firm deadline for the talks. The deadline for completing EBSP agreements is December 31, 2026, according to the research service. The U.S. has reportedly linked the request to visa-free travel for citizens of participating European countries. That connection could increase pressure on EU governments to reach an agreement before the deadline.
The talks have already moved forward after the European Commission received approval to begin discussions. According to a February 2026 question from the European Parliament, the Council gave its approval in December 2025. The first round of negotiations reportedly took place in January.
U.S. seeks access to European biometric data
The proposed agreement could allow the U.S. to access biometric information for security checks. It could also support identity checks linked to border controls and visa applications. Biometric data can include fingerprints and other information that helps officials confirm someone’s identity.
The European Parliament discussed the issue in an April briefing about the ongoing negotiations. The briefing said the proposed framework could cover access to national databases, including biometric databases. A 2024 privacy assessment from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also described a possible system.
Under that system, U.S. authorities could regularly check partner countries’ biometric databases. The checks could involve travellers, asylum applicants, and people encountered during U.S. border procedures. They could also involve people met during immigration processes, according to the privacy assessment. The information could help officials confirm identities and identify people considered security risks.
However, the negotiations do not mean that the U.S. already has open access to EU biometric databases. The European Parliament said the proposed EU-U.S. framework would mainly create general rules for future data sharing. Individual EU member states would still decide what information they make available to U.S. authorities. They would also decide which national databases could become part of any future data-sharing arrangement.
This means the final scope of the system could depend on decisions made by each participating country. The proposed deal could therefore create a common framework without automatically opening every European database. The negotiations remain focused on finding a structure that meets U.S. security demands. At the same time, European officials continue to examine how the arrangement could affect personal privacy.
European privacy officials raise concerns
European data protection officials have raised concerns about the possible scale of the data sharing. The European Data Protection Supervisor has described the proposal as potentially significant. The office said the deal could become the first EU agreement with a non-EU country for large-scale data sharing.
The information could include sensitive biometric details, such as fingerprints. The data could then support border controls and immigration checks involving people travelling between regions. The European Data Protection Supervisor has called for strict limits on the amount of information shared.
It also wants strong safeguards to protect people whose information enters the system. The office has also called for clear accountability rules and access to legal remedies. These safeguards could determine how authorities collect, use, store, and protect the information.
The concerns focus on the sensitive nature of biometric data and the risks linked to its wider use. Unlike ordinary contact details, biometric information can directly connect data to a person’s identity. The proposed system could therefore involve information that privacy officials consider especially sensitive. The negotiations have placed security needs and privacy rights at the centre of the discussion.
The United States sees information sharing as part of its border security and immigration checks. European lawmakers and privacy officials are more focused on protecting personal information. They are also examining how authorities could access, store, reuse, or transfer the data.
The talks could therefore face difficult questions about how far data sharing should go. The EU and U.S. must still agree on the details of any final framework.
The agreement still needs EU approval
The proposed EBSP framework has not yet become a final agreement. The negotiations must still address European data protection rules before the process can move forward. The final arrangement would also need approval from the European Parliament and the Council.
Individual EU countries would then have decisions to make about their own databases and information. The policy-making process is similarly deliberative in other countries; New Zealand has confirmed it has no plans to ban VPNs.
The December 31, 2026, deadline adds more pressure to the ongoing discussions. The U.S. has reportedly connected the negotiations with visa-free travel for citizens of participating European countries. That connection makes the talks important for both security cooperation and travel arrangements.
European governments must now consider the U.S. request while protecting their citizens’ personal information. The talks also raise questions about how governments should handle biometric data across international borders.
Any future agreement could affect travellers, visa applicants, asylum seekers, and others involved in border procedures. However, the current negotiations do not confirm that the U.S. will receive unrestricted access. The European Parliament has made clear that individual countries would still control their own data-sharing choices.
The EU and U.S. will therefore need to settle the rules before any wider system can begin. The final agreement must balance the security goals of the United States with Europe’s privacy requirements.
The December 2026 deadline gives both sides a limited period to complete the negotiations. Until then, the proposed biometric data-sharing system remains under discussion and still requires further approval.
