VZCZCXYZ0005
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #3521 3571817
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 221809Z DEC 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RULSDMK/TRANSPORTATION DEPT WASHINGTON DC 0000

UNCLAS STATE 133521 
 
SIPDIS 
DHS FOR MIKE SCARDAVILLE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR ASEC SZ
SUBJECT: PNR AGREEMENT: DELIVERY OF PROPOSAL VIA 
DIPLOMATIC NOTE 
 
¶1. This message contains an action request.  See paragraph 2. 
 
¶2. Embassy is requested to deliver on a priority basis the 
text at paragraph 4 in the form of a diplomatic note to 
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss 
Confederation (DFA).  The proposal conveyed in the note, on 
the transfer of passenger name record data from air carriers 
operating flights between Switzerland and the United States, 
anticipates a Swiss diplomatic note in response, which, if 
affirmative, constitutes an agreed understanding.  Embassy is 
requested to report the delivery of the U.S. note and, when 
it arrives, the Swiss note in response. 
 
¶3. Upon receipt of a Swiss reply note, Embassy is asked to 
pouch a certified copy of the Embassy's note and the original 
of the FDA's reply note to the Department's Office of Treaty 
Affairs (L/T - Room 5420, HST), to the attention of Jennifer 
Gergen. 
 
¶4. Begin text: 
 
The Embassy of the United States of America presents its 
compliments to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of 
the Swiss Confederation and, with reference to discussions 
between the Government of the United States of America (U.S. 
Government) and the Government of the Swiss Confederation 
(the Swiss Government) on the transfer of Passenger Name 
Record (PNR) data derived from flights between Switzerland 
and the United States, has the honor to propose the following: 
 
On behalf of the U.S. government, the Embassy is pleased to 
inform the Swiss government that such PNR data are subject to 
the privacy protections for PNR data as set out in the System 
of Records Notice (SORN) for the Automated Targeting System 
(ATS) issued by the U.S Department of Homeland Security 
(DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  A System of 
Records is a group of any records, under the control of any 
U.S. government agency, from which information is retrieved 
by the name of the individual or by some identifying number, 
symbol, or other identifier assigned to the individual. Under 
U.S. law, each such agency must publish notice of its Systems 
of Records in the Federal Register. The SORN for ATS was 
published in the United States Federal Register of August 6, 
2007, (Volume 72, Number 150) (Pages 43650-43656). 
 
PNR data derived from flights between Switzerland and the 
United States are governed by the rules regarding Passenger 
Name Record data that are set out in the SORN for 
ATS-Passenger (ATS-P), one of the six modules within ATS. The 
SORN covers the procedures for collecting, analyzing, 
storing, and providing access to such PNR information and 
redress as it applies to all passengers. This portion of the 
SORN addresses:  the purpose of processing PNR; the routine 
uses of the system, including instances in which PNR data may 
be shared with other agencies or governments; the data 
elements that comprise PNR; the individuals covered by the 
system; the risk-based targeting of travelers based on PNR 
data; the application of the administrative safeguards of the 
U.S. Privacy Act to records of individuals other than U.S. 
citizens or legal permanent residents that are contained in 
mixed systems; the length of retention and disposal of the 
PNR data; and an individual's opportunity for access to his 
or her PNR data and opportunities for redress. 
 
The ATS SORN requires the U.S. government to confer upon PNR 
data derived from flights between the United States and 
Switzerland, and provided to the U.S. government pursuant to 
U.S. law, substantially the same privacy protections as those 
addressed in the Agreement between the United States of 
America and the European Union on the Processing and Transfer 
of Passenger Name Record (PNR) Data by Air Carriers to the 
United States Department of Homeland Security, signed at 
Washington and Brussels on July 23 and July 26, 2007 (the 
2007 Agreement). The U.S. government assures the Government 
of Switzerland that it treats such PNR data derived from 
flights between the United States and Switzerland no 
differently than the treatment accorded to PNR data subject 
to the 2007 Agreement. 
 
In light of the foregoing: 
 
¶1. The U.S. government shall inform the Swiss government 
about any amendments to the ATS SORN that may affect the 
treatment of, and privacy protections applicable to, PNR data 
contained in ATS-P, or any amendments or successor agreements 
to the 2007 Agreement.  If the Swiss government regards any 
such notification as incompatible with the Swiss Federal Act 
on Data Protection, there shall be consultations within sixty 
(60) days, as described in point 6 below. 
 
¶2. With regard to the collection of such PNR data, DHS 
continues to prefer the transmission of PNR data by Swiss air 
carriers through a push system.  Such a system should 
continue to be deployed, consistent with technical 
requirements issued by DHS. The transition to a push system, 
however, does not confer on airlines any discretion to decide 
when, how, or what data to push. 
 
¶3. The U.S. government appreciates the ongoing support of the 
Government of Switzerland for this and other 
counter-terrorism measures. To support this endeavor, the 
U.S. government and the Swiss government shall periodically 
review the implementation of this agreed understanding and 
U.S. and Swiss PNR policies and practices for the purpose of 
contributing to the effective operation and privacy 
protection of our practices for processing PNR. The U.S. 
government shall seek reciprocally information about Swiss 
PNR systems as part of this periodic review, and 
representatives of the Swiss government maintaining PNR 
systems shall be invited to participate in the discussions. 
The head of the Swiss Federal Department of the Environment, 
Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) and the U.S. 
Secretary of Homeland Security, or other mutually acceptable 
officials, shall together determine the scope and modalities 
of the review. 
 
¶4. The Swiss government confirms that the treatment to be 
provided by the U.S. government to PNR relating to flights 
between Switzerland and the United States in accordance with 
the information provided in this Note satisfies the 
requirements of the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection 
regarding transfers to a foreign country. 
 
¶5. The Swiss government shall continue to allow air carriers 
operating passenger flights between Switzerland and the 
United States to make PNR data available to the U.S. 
government in accordance with United States law and in 
application of this agreed understanding. 
 
¶6.  The two Governments shall endeavor to resolve by mutual 
agreement any difficulties or doubts arising as to the 
interpretation or application of this agreed understanding. 
 
The Embassy further proposes, on behalf of the U.S. 
government, that, should this proposal be acceptable to the 
Swiss government, this Note and the Ministry,s favorable 
Note in reply shall constitute an agreed understanding 
between the two Governments that shall take effect on the 
date of the Ministry,s Note and shall remain effective 
unless terminated by either Government with two (2) months, 
advance written notice to the other. 
 
The Embassy of the United States of America avails itself of 
this opportunity to renew to the Federal Department of 
Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation the assurances of 
its highest consideration. 
 
 
In pursuance of a timely conclusion of the proposed 
understanding, the Embassy has the honor to propose the 
following text in reply. 
 
 
(Courtoisie) and has the honor to acknowledge receipt of 
Embassy Note No.     dated December    , 2008, which reads as 
follows: 
 
(Insert text of U.S. note) 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland has the honor 
to confirm that the proposal set forth in the Embassy,s Note 
is acceptable to the Government of the Swiss Confederation, 
and that the Embassy,s Note, together with this Note in 
response, shall constitute an agreed understanding between 
the two Governments that shall take effect on the date of 
this Note and shall remain in effect unless terminated by 
either Government with two months, advance written notice to 
the other. 
 
(Courtoisie) 
RICE