Exchange of Information and Data between Law Enforcement Authorities within the European Union

Analiza 15-04-2009

Over the last one and a half decades, transnational information exchange between law enforcement authorities within the European Union has been stepped up considerably. This process was originally triggered by the abolition of national borders within the Schengen Area. In the meantime, the process is fed by an ever–growing number of perceived security threats, a misled belief in the problem–solving capacity of technology and a policy of overbidding between some Member States and the EU level. The goal of this process is to establish a pan–European regime of internal security. This paper discusses the legislative aspect of this process and considers its organising principle(s). The paper provides a review of operational and planned databases and systems of information exchange within the EU. It clarifies some of the central concepts in the field of automated information exchange. It describes some of the procedures of information exchange between law enforcement authorities. It identifies some of the side effects of transnational information exchange. Finally, it makes some recommendations how to better manage apparatuses and practises.