The European Union (EU) foreign ministers authorized on Monday the EU presidency to sign an interim agreement allowing the United States to use trans-Atlantic air passenger data for anti-terror probes.

A press release issued after the EU foreign ministers' meeting here said that the EU and the United States are expected to complete the signature process on Wednesday.

The EU and the United States completed negotiations on the interim agreement on Oct. 6, which covers the processing and transfer of passenger name record (PNR) data by air carriers to the U.S. Administration.

The interim agreement provides legal certainty by replacing an agreement of May 2004 between the EU and the United States, which was voided by the EU's Court of Justice on May 30 this year.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the United States ordered all airlines, including the European airlines, to provide PNR data such as credit card numbers, telephone numbers and addresses, for the U.S. authorities within 30 minutes after the plane takes off.

Later, the United States and the EU reached a PNR agreement, which ignited widespread opposition in Europe.

On May 30, the EU's Court of Justice ruled the pact as illegal, leading to a possible legal vacuum on PNR data transfer.

At present, the two sides are trying to work out a new permanent PNR pact.