Report on the EURODAC audit: EDPS welcomes conclusions for improved security of the system

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) today delivered the report on the results of a security audit on the EURODAC system to the European Commission. As the supervisory authority of the Central Unit of EURODAC, the EDPS launched a comprehensive inspection which was completed in March 2006. This was followed by a decision to initiate an in-depth security audit, the results of which were presented to the European Commission.

Welcoming the delivery of the report, Peter Hustinx, EDPS, says: "This security audit has been a worthwhile and timely exercise. The system has been in operation for a number of years now and different aspects are being evaluated. Let us not forget that this system processes the personal information of individuals from one of the most vulnerable and often forgotten groups within our society - those claiming asylum. With discussions on allowing law enforcement bodies access to the EURODAC system ongoing, it seems appropriate that we have taken the opportunity to conduct a forensic analysis of the security of the system."

The report details the findings of an audit team, comprised of one representative from the EDPS, two representatives from BSI, the Federal Office for Information Security in Germany and one representative from DCSSI (Direction centrale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information) in France. The European Networks and Information Security Agency (ENISA) reviewed the quality standards of the report.

While the report is EU Restricted, a short summary is available on the EDPS website.

EURODAC is a large database of fingerprints of applicants for asylum and illegal immigrants found within the EU. The database helps the effective application of the Dublin convention on handling claims for asylum. EURODAC was set up to incorporate data protection safeguards. The EDPS supervises the processing of personal data in the database (central unit) and their transmission to the Member States.

EDPS/07/11 Friday, 9 November 2007

Download the summary

Eurodac Audit Summary