EU to upgrade Visa Information systems making it interoperable

The European Commission has presented different initiatives aimed at strengthening the security of the EU and creating a Security Union.

The EU is introducing new rules on interoperability between EU information systems in the area of justice and home affairs. Easier information sharing will improve security, allow for more efficient checks at external borders and contribute to prevent and combat illegal migration.

On 5 February 2019, the Council Presidency and Parliament reached a provisional agreement on these two proposals.

The regulations establish four new tools to improve information flows:

• a European search portal to search simultaneously in multiple EU information systems
• a shared biometric matching service to search and cross-check biometric data in relevant EU information systems
• a common identity repository containing biographical and biometric data of non-EU citizens available in several EU information systems
• a multiple identity detector to detect multiple identities linked to the same set of biometric data

The new rules will help authorities to better detect security threats and combat identity fraud. It will also help to improve checks at external borders and to prevent and combat illegal immigration.

The three main centralised information systems developed by the EU and used for security checks are

•  Schengen Information System (SIS) with a broad spectrum of alerts on persons and objects,
•  Visa Information System (VIS) with data on short-stay visas, and
•  Eurodac system with fingerprint data of asylum applicants and third-country nationals who have crossed the external borders irregularly. These three systems are complementary, and – with the exception of SIS – primarily targeted at third-country nationals.

The European criminal records information system (ECRIS) was set up in 2012. It enables EU member states to easily share information on criminal convictions.

In addition, new IT systems like the

• Entry/Exit System (EES) with data on overstays
• Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) are being established in 2021 on visa waiver countries.

The reinforcement of the VIS and the extension of the European Criminal Records Information System to Third  Country Nationals (ECRIS-TCN) have been proposed by the Commission.

The Commission has also proposed to make all information systems interoperable context, the Commission has already proposed to upgrade the Visa Information System, which – in conjunction with the proposal for the Interoperability Regulation – will introduce mandatory searches in relevant EU and international security databases at the external borders for all issued residence permits and long-term visas.

Information on residence permit applications, which were refused by a Member State on security grounds, would also be stored and checks can be subsequently made against it.

Read more here