MEPs block May's bid to screen all flights for terrorists after delaying deciding vote on laws in Brussels

A counter-terror plan backed by Theresa May to collect personal data on everyone flying in and out of Europe has been scuppered by MEPs.  In the wake of the Paris attacks, EU ministers and the European Parliament promised to start using airline records to screen passengers before departure to identify potential terror suspects and track their movements.

But senior MEPs have stalled its introduction by refusing to hold a final vote on the legislation in Brussels. The delay is embarrassing for the Home Secretary who has long championed its introduction and warned that it should be put in place ‘immediately’ to boost security.

Mrs May, a one-time Eurosceptic, has argued that Britain should stay in the EU because it allows greater co-operation in the fight against terrorism, but opponents will argue the dithering over the plan in Brussels weakens her argument.

Officials first mooted the idea to start using the information given by passengers when they book flights and check in to fight terrorism and serious crime in 2007, but it has been repeatedly held up because of disagreements among member states and MEPs.

Under the plan, airlines operating flights in or out of EU countries would be obliged to send all details provided by travellers such as name, itinerary, bank card details, home address and meal preference to authorities. Police and security services in member states would then be able to check passengers before their flights.

The data would be stored for six months so they could also use it to pick up suspicious travel patterns such as people coming to and from terrorism hotspots such as Syria

All flights coming in and out of the EU would be covered by the scheme, but member states would be given the option of whether or not to record information for passenger taking flights within the continent.

At an emergency summit in Brussels in December after the Paris attacks, Mrs May told fellow ministers that they had ‘been waiting too long’ to put the plan in place and they reached a deal with MEPs for its introduction.