If the European Commission has its way, all air travelers regardless of nationality will have to give their personal details to national authorities when they fly in or out of the European Union.

The goal behind the European Union-wide Passenger Name Record (PNR) Directive is to fight serious crime and terrorism. Under the proposal, passengers flying to and from destinations in the E.U. would have their data, including home address, mobile phone number, credit card information and e-mail address, checked and stored by national police.

The commission promises strong protection of privacy, with personal information stored nationally for only 30 days after passengers' flights. After 30 days, law enforcement authorities must make the data anonymous and can then retain it for no more than five years.

It is likely to take at least two years to negotiate the proposal in the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.