Interoperability of European information systems for border management and security

Briefing 15-06-2017

The collection, processing and sharing of data using new technologies are becoming central to the European Union (EU)’s border management and internal security. In the EU, there are a number of information systems, or databases, that support border management and internal security policies by providing border guards, migration and asylum officials, and law enforcement authorities with information on various categories of people, such as people crossing EU’s external borders, staying in the EU or applying for asylum in an EU Member State. In 2016, the European Commission launched a reflection process on how to improve and develop EU information systems for border management and security. One key dimension of this process is to make the various information systems more interoperable, so as to allow the simultaneous consultation and automatic interconnection of data. While the need to ensure appropriate and effective collection and exchange of information is widely recognised, disagreements remain about the ways and extent to which data should be collected and used, the authorities that can access the data, and the implications for the fundamental rights of individuals, such as the right to privacy and the protection of personal data.