The changes bring the Slovenian law in line with the directive on the use of passenger name record data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime.

The major changes are the adjusted use of PNR data (unchecked data on passengers from airline ticket reservation systems) and API data (advance passenger information) with regard to the purpose of their use, the government said in a press release.

The government added that the changes "enable full identification of individuals and tracking down of wanted, known perpetrators of criminal acts and other known operationally interesting persons".

The changes more precisely define the manner of the processing of both types of data and the persons authorised to use the data, as well as the method and conditions for the communication of the data.

The list of severe criminal acts has been adjusted and expanded accordingly, while the period of the initial storing of data has been shortened to six months, after which data will be depersonalised.

The total time of the storing has been expended to five years, while the changes also determine the conditions and procedure of disclosure of depersonalised data and determine the state body in charge of that.

The government also adopted relevant amendments to the aviation act, which require airlines to send PNR data to the police, so that the directive could be fully implemented.

The government says that the transposition of the directive was urgent as Slovenia had received an official warning from the European Commission back in July 2018.