The European Union and the United States concluded a new anti-terrorism agreement Friday under which information about passengers on U.S.-bound flights from Europe can be shared with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other U.S. law enforcement agencies. The interim deal _ reached after a nine-hour, trans-Atlantic video conference that took place nearly a week after negotiators missed an Oct. 1 deadline _ replaces a 2004 air passenger privacy agreement the EU's high court voided last May for purely technical reasons. The agreement is valid until July 2007, after which the EU and the U.S. plan to have a permanent accord. The 25 EU governments are expected to give final approval to the interim deal next week, the Associated Press reported. EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini welcomed it, saying the United States and the EU will employ «comparable standards of data protection.»
