(Consent)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the draft Council decision (08523/2016),

–  having regard to the draft agreement between the United States of America and the European Union on the protection of personal information relating to the prevention, investigation, detection, and prosecution of criminal offenses (08557/2016),

–  having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 16 and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C8‑0329/2016),

–  having regard to the letter from the Committee on Foreign Affairs,

–  having regard to Rule 99(1), first and third subparagraphs, Rule 99(2), and Rule 108(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs (A8-0354/2016),

1.  Gives its consent to conclusion of the agreement;

2.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of the United States of America.