Policy document concerning access to Eurodac by Member States’ police and law enforcement authorities

Introduction

The German delegation is preparing a proposal for a Council decision concerning access to Eurodac by Member States’ police and law enforcement authorities for the purposes of preventing, detecting or investigating criminal offences, in particular terrorist offences.

Under the Hague Programme (No. 2.1.), with the aim of strengthening security, an improvement of the exchange of information is to be achieved, including by means of more extensive access to existing EU information systems.

In its Communication to the Council of 24 November 2005 (doc. 15122/05 CATS 82 ASIM 61 COMIX 805), the Commission identifies the absence of access by internal security authorities to Eurodac data as a shortcoming in relation to the objective of combating terrorism and crime. As the Commission underlines, the biometric information contained in Eurodac may be the only information available to identify a person suspected to have committed a crime or an act of terrorism. Thus, the information in the Eurodac database can be important in preventing and combating terrorism and other offences and should therefore be available for consultation by Member States’ police and law enforcement authorities.

Without prejudice to detailed negotiations on the drafting of the proposal, the German delegation would like to submit to the delegations a number of issues for a preliminary discussion.

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Policy document concerning access to Eurodac by Member States’ police and law enforcement authorities