OSCE helps law enforcement authorities in Moldova to establish Advance Passenger Information system

A workshop on how to set up an Advance Passenger Information (API) system in Moldova was organized by the Border Security and Management Unit (BSMU) of the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) from 10 to 12 July in Chisinau. The aim of establishing an API system is to better regulate exit, entry, and transit of air passengers.

An API system is an electronic system through which biographic data from a traveller’s passport and flight details are collected by airlines and transmitted to the relevant national authorities at the border before the departure or arrival of a specific flight. By checking the data against law enforcement watch lists, such as those of INTERPOL, border officials can know in advance whether FTFs or other suspicious profiles are attempting to enter their country.

The workshop brought together 30 representatives from all agencies involved in aviation security in the country. They included the General Inspectorate of the Border Police, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Customs Service, the Security and Intelligence Service, the National Centre for Personal Data Protection, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry for Economy and Infrastructure.

The participants drafted a tailored action plan outlining the main steps that Moldova needs to take for setting up an API system. They worked together with border control officers from Hungary, Luxembourg and the United States, as well as experts from some of the OSCE’s international partners, like the European Union (EU), INTERPOL, and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Commercial service providers and representatives from Lufthansa also contributed to the discussion by sharing their experience in transmitting API data to national governments.

Particular importance was given to ensuring proper communication with airlines and to the adoption of national laws allowing for the collection and storage of passenger data while fully respecting citizens’ right to privacy. Moldova’s Law on the State Border includes certain legal requirements related to API. However, some essential provisions are still missing, namely a reference to the law enforcement agencies that should have access to passenger data.

The path for the establishment of an API system in Moldova was paved by the creation in April 2017 of an inter-agency working group that will be responsible for formulating recommendations on the best way of setting up a passenger

The event in Moldova was the ninth workshop on API organized by TNTD/BSMU since December 2016. The workshops are being followed up with technical and legal consultations aimed at assisting local authorities in implementing API action plans.