Exchange of information between EU law enforcement authorities to become more effective

The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a government proposal for an act on the automated search and exchange of data for police cooperation and for amending the Act on the Processing of Personal Data by the Police. The proposal introduces amendments to national legislation required by the EU Regulation on the automated search and exchange of data for police cooperation (the Prüm II Regulation). The deadline for submitting comments is Monday 19 January 2026.

The Prüm II Regulation entered into force on 25 April 2024. Its aim is to improve the automated exchange of criminal information and vehicle registration data between Member States and Europol and, through this, to facilitate the prevention, detection and investigation of criminal offences. The regulation lays down the conditions and procedures for the automated searching and exchange of DNA profiles, facial images, police records, dactyloscopic data and vehicle registration data. 

European Police Record Index System (EPRIS) frees up resources

According to the government proposal now circulated for comments, Finland will participate in the European Police Record Index System (EPRIS) established by the Prüm II Regulation. Using EPRIS would make the exchange of information between the Finnish Police, Finnish Customs, the Finnish Border Guard and other countries participating in the exchange of police records more effective and simpler. 

Under the proposal, the Finnish Police, Finnish Customs and the Finnish Border Guard could query the police record index of another country that participates in the system. Queries can only be made for the purpose of preventing, detecting and investigating offences punishable by imprisonment of at least one year, and only in the framework of individual cases. More efficient and faster access to information in criminal investigations may, for example, speed up the criminal procedure. 

Once EPRIS becomes operational, requests for information can be addressed to the state holding information about the person in question. This will avoid unnecessary queries and responses to such queries, freeing up resources for other tasks. In particular, for the purpose of investigating cross-border crime, it is more cost-effective, where necessary, to obtain information from several relevant Member States in which the same perpetrators have operated.

According to the proposal, queries could also be made to find missing persons in connection with criminal investigations or in situations where the missing person’s life or health could be in danger. Queries could also be conducted to identify unidentified human remains. 

The proposed acts are scheduled to enter into force in autumn 2026.

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