Interoperability of EU information systems will be enhanced

The development of interoperability between EU information systems will improve the identity management of third-country nationals staying in the Schengen area. The package includes a number of extensive EU information systems related to internal security, migration management and travel. The EU regulations concerning the framework for interoperability were adopted in 2019. The legislative proposal submitted to Parliament on Thursday 23 September allows the police, Customs and the Border Guard to make queries in the common identity repository of the European Union’s information systems for the purpose of identifying a person.

Identification of a person is a prerequisite for reliable official activities

The purpose of the legislative proposal now submitted is to make the amendments required by the EU regulations concerning the interoperability of EU information systems to the national legislation. Provisions on the grounds for queries are laid down in the EU regulations.
The EU regulations aim to simplify access to data by authorities, protect the EU’s external borders, improve migration management and enhance internal security.  Correct and reliable identification of a person is also a prerequisite for reliable official activities.

The EU interoperability regulations apply to the following EU-level information systems:

• EU Visa Information System (VIS)
• Schengen Information System (SIS)
• Entry/Exit System (EES)
• European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and
• centralised system for the identification of Member States holding conviction information on third-country nationals and stateless persons (ECRIS-TCN).

A revised European system for the comparison of fingerprints of asylum applicants (Eurodac) is also intended to be included in the package. The systems complement each other and, with the exception of the Schengen Information System, only data on third-country nationals are stored in them.

Data from EU security information systems to be pooled

The interoperability of information systems will be implemented with four components:

1. A European search portal to search simultaneously in multiple EU information systems for data, including biometric data.
2. A shared biometric matching service that allows to compare the biometrics to be entered in one system with those in other systems. 
3. A common identity repository for storing biographical and biometric data and travel document data. 
4. A multiple identity detector to check if the same data match persons entered in several systems, allowing to detect possible multiple identities.

Inquiries: 
Hannele Taavila, Police Director, tel. +358 295 488 568, [email protected]