A deal to solve the transatlantic air security dispute could be agreed and in place as soon as Friday, the European Commission has said.
Hopes of ending the deadlock are pinned on talks in Luxembourg between EU justice ministers on October 6, following a breakdown of negotiations in Washington.
The row is over the scale and use of personal European air passenger information passed to the American authorities.
An existing PNR (Passenger Name Records) agreement between EU Governments and Washington was declared illegal by European judges earlier this year, after being condemned by human rights campaigners as a breach of privacy laws.
The search for a replacement faltered when US officials pushed for wider limits on who could access the information. In particular officials wanted the right to pass it to security agencies in other countries.
The European Commission had predicted air chaos in the absence of an agreement , with the US threatening fines and an end to landing rights against airlines refusing to continue sending full passenger information.
But now a Commission statement holds out hope of a deal before European airlines face difficulties.
It said EU Justice ministers would consider the issue on Friday "in the hope of having an agreement the same day".
In the meantime the Commission was urging Washington to continue applying safeguards on the use of PNR data "so as to minimise the risk of legal uncertainty and disruption to EU-US flights".
The statement added: "It is in the interests of all concerned, travellers, airlines, law enforcement agencies and data protection authorities, that a new agreement is concluded as soon possible."
