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EU border control: 

EU border control Shared objective of the EU: To create an area of justice, freedom and security without internal borders. Integrated border management. Border control considerations: Combating illegal immigration Accurate and efficient person verification and identification Secure travel documents / e-Passports Efficient use of biometrics Data protection Harmonised practice within EU considering global developments outside the EU

Current challenges (1/2): 

Current challenges (1/2) Increase of travellers at border crossings: Need to improve control at borders while ensuring high levels of public service - facilitation vs. security Workflow made more efficient at consular posts Processing times at crossing points to be kept at a minimum Solutions: Stop doing work twice: if you can be sure someone is the rightful holder of a visa then why ask the same questions or do the same checks already performed by the visa officer? More integrated systems – ‘trusted traveller cards’ automated entry points and processes synergies between border systems

Current challenges (2/2): 

Current challenges (2/2) Introduction of biometrics into travel documents, visas: Development of e-Passports by EU Member States Development of the VIS, BMS Need for standards, interoperability, certification, sustainable research on technology and different types of biometrics 3 key purposes: To improve security To create operational efficiencies amidst growing work load To facilitate travel for bona fide individuals

SISII history: 

SISII history The Schengen Convention Basis for current SIS1+ system Intergovernmental cooperation SISI+ central part managed by FR New MS cannot connect to SIS1+ New system needed But… no EU budget for intergovernmental cooperation

Schengen Information System (SIS) and SISII: 

Schengen Information System (SIS) and SISII Background

Schengen Information System : 

Schengen Information System Schengen Information System (SIS) Automated border control and police information exchange system for Member States belonging to Schengen area within EU To maintain security after the lifting of the systematic controls at borders of MS and their transfer to external borders of the EU SIS II – second generation Enlargement - New objects, and multimedia data (photos and fingerprints), 27 users (Member States) New Technology - System more modular and flexible to adapt to changing requirements; High Availability - 99.99% (≤ 4 minutes down in 28 day period)

Data for SIS II: 

Data for SIS II Will serve approximately 500.000 end-users (850.000 queries per day at Central System) Will provide information on persons and objects for at least 22 Million records today ~ 15 Million records 1 million Persons Banknotes 250,000 Blank documents 400,000 Firearms 300,000 ID documents >11 million Vehicles 1.5 million biometric data Will allow for storage but not yet automatic comparison (est. 20 % of person records, fingerprints and/or photos)

SIS II information flow: 

SIS II information flow Central SIS System S-TESTA Network National End user End users can either query directly to the central system (pink arrows) or to a national copy of the central system (red arrows). This is kept up to date by “broadcasts” from the central system (blue arrows). Optional full or partial national copy of SIS National Interface

Visa Information System (VIS): 

Visa Information System (VIS) Background

What is VIS?: 

What is VIS? A central database for the purpose of exchanging visa information between Member States. EU Commission is responsible for delivering: The central system (CS-VIS); The National Interface (NI) for each Member State; The network which connects the two. Each Member State is responsible for delivering: Their national system (NS-VIS); The connection from their Consulates to their national systems; The connection of border points and other end-users to the NS; Connection of the NS to the NI.

Figures: 

Figures 12 Million Visa requests a year 2001 20 Million Visa requests a year (2007-2008) 25% Visas not issued (from total) 20% Repeated Visa (from total) 30 Participating States 2 Computer Centers 3,500 Consular posts world-wide 12,000 users world-wide Citizens from 134 countries require visas

Biometric Matching System (BMS): 

Biometric Matching System (BMS) The BMS will link fingerprints to individual persons, thereby helping to establish or verify their identity. It will first be used for the VIS and sized to store 70 million 10-print records, thus making it the largest biometric matching system worldwide.

EURODAC: 

EURODAC Background

EURODAC - objective: 

EURODAC - objective Objective to identify the MS in charge of dealing with an asylum application The first European-wide biometric application (AFIS) No photographic / demographic data Only fingerprints and Date of application/apprehension Place of application/apprehension Sex

EURODAC Data Categories: 

EURODAC Data Categories Applications for Asylum (over age of 14 years) Store and search against all existing data Apprehensions in an irregular crossing of an external border Store Illegally present within a MS to check for asylum application (optional) Search only against existing Asylum Applications

EURODAC Data Flow : 

EURODAC Data Flow

EURODAC Statistics : 

EURODAC Statistics * 15 January 2003 - 15 January 2004 ** 1 January 2004 - 31 December 2004 *** Preview of EURODAC Third Annual Report

EURODAC Statistics on HITS: 

EURODAC Statistics on HITS * 15 January 2003 - 15 January 2004 ** 1 January 2004 - 31 December 2004 *** Preview of EURODAC Third Annual Report

E-Passports and E-visas Starting Point: 

E-Passports and E-visas Starting Point European Council of Thessaloniki, June 2003: “a coherent approach is needed in the EU on biometric identifiers or biometric data which would result in harmonised solutions for documents for third country nationals, EU citizens’ passports and information systems (VIS and SIS II)”, and invited the Commission “to prepare the appropriate proposals, starting with the visa”

E-Passport: 

E-Passport Council decision of 13 December 2004 (Regulation (EC) 2252/2004): The facial image will be required at the latest 18 months, the fingerprints will be required mandatory at the latest 36 months after the date of adoption of technical specifications necessary for the implementation of the Regulation Participants: all EU25 Member States (soon 27) minus the United Kingdom and Ireland plus Norway, Iceland and Switzerland (at a later stage)

Slide21: 

European Commission Decision on the technical specifications related to the integration of the facial image on 28 February 2005 Commission decision on the technical specifications related to the integration of the fingerprints on 28 June 2006 rendering the access to fingerprint data secure (« extended access control ») Implementation date of the facial image: 28 August 2006 Implementation date of the fingerprints: 28 June 2009 E-Passport

E-visas and residence permits: 

E-visas and residence permits November 2003 There was agreement on the European Commission proposals subject to technical feasability November 2004 Technical Committee questioned the technical feasibility of storing biometrics in IC in visas February 2005 Storage of bio identifiers in VIS central system Assess a further solution of storing biometric identifiers on the visa or a separate smartcard Issue residence permits only in card form June 2005 Decision taken No biometric identifiers in the visa and Storage of biometrics only in the VIS

ID Cards: 

ID Cards December 2005 EU Member States of the European Union agreed on common minimum security standards for Member States' national identity cards Security Features: - same minimum standards on materials e.g. ink, printing techniques, etc. as those established for passports, adapted to the card form of the identity card; - on biometric identifiers: to use the face and two fingerprints taken flat, to be incorporated in a radio frequency chip following the technical specifications established for the integration of biometrics in the passport

Thank you: 

Thank you