This Observatory covers the so-called “interoperability” of EU JHA databases which in reality will create a centralised EU state database covering all existing and future JHA databases.
The European Data Protection Supervisor says in his Opinion: “Interoperability is not primarily a technical choice, it is in particular a political choice to be made. Against the backdrop of the clear trend to mix distinct EU law and policy objectives (i.e. border checks, asylum and immigration, police cooperation and now also judicial cooperation in criminal matters) as well as granting law enforcement routine access to non-law enforcement databases, the decision of the EU legislator to make large-scale IT systems interoperable would not only permanently and profoundly affect their structure and their way of operating, but would also change the way legal principles have been interpreted in this area so far and would as such mark a “point of no return”. For these reasons, the EDPS calls for a wider debate on the future of the EU information exchange, their governance and the ways to safeguard fundamental rights in this context.”
Tony Bunyan, Statewatch Director, comments:
“The time to ring the alarms bells is not when Big Brother is in place but when there are the first signs of its construction”
Latest news & documents added
• Statewatch Observatory: The “Stockholm Programme” – “The Shape of Things to Come” – EU Future Group (link) From 2009 – 2010.
• Article 29 Committee: Opinion on Commission proposals on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems in the field of borders and visa as well as police and judicial cooperation, asylum and migration (pdf)
• EU: Act: Interoperability: Borders and visas: Regulation on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems in the field of borders and visa and amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EU) 2016/399, (EU) 2017/2226, (EU) 2018/1240, (EU) 2018/1726 and (EU) 2018/1861 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Decisions 2004/512/EC and 2008/633/JHA (PE-CONS 30/19, 2 May 2019, pdf)
• EU Act: Interoperability: Police and judicial cooperation, asylum and migration: Regulation on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems in the field of police and judicial cooperation, asylum and migration and amending Regulations (EU) 2018/1726, (EU) 2018/1862 and (EU) 2019/…* (PE-CONS 31/19, 2 May 2019, pdf)
• European Parliament: Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399,
Regulation XX/2018 [Interoperability Regulation], and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA – Outcome of the European Parliament’s first reading, (Strasbourg, 11 to 14 March 2019) (Council doc no: 7401019, pdf)
• Police cooperation, asylum and migration: Regulation on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems (police and judicial cooperation, asylum and migration) and amending [Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the Eurodac Regulation],] Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the Regulation on SIS in the field of law enforcement], Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the ECRIS-TCN Regulation] and Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the eu-LISA Regulation] (326 pages, pdf): Four column document with the Commission proposal, the Council position, the European Parliament position and the a agreed “compromise” text.
• Borders and visa: Regulation on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems (borders and visa) and amending Council Decision 2004/512/EC, Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Council Decision 2008/633/JHA, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the ETIAS Regulation], Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the Regulation on SIS in the field of border checks] and Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the eu-LISA Regulation]xx (437 pages, pdf). Four column document with the Commission proposal, the Council position, the European Parliament position and the a agreed “compromise” text.
• Council: Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation
(EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation XX/2018 [Interoperability Regulation], and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA – Mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament (Final consolidated version) (Doc no: 15764-18,110 pages, pdf): “Delegations will find attached in the Annex the final consolidated version of the Council’s negotiating mandate with the European Parliament.”
• Council: Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation
(EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation XX/2018 [Interoperability Regulation], and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA – Mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament (Doc no: 15726-18, 75 pages, pdf): “At its meeting on 19 December 2018, the Permanent Representatives Committee agreed on the mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament, as set out in the Annex.”
• Council: Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation
(EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation XX/2018 [Interoperability Regulation], and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA – Final Presidency compromise proposals after the fifth examination (LIMITE doc no: 15125-18,, pdf): “In view to the discussions in the Visa Working Party of 11-12 December 2018, delegations will find in the Annex the final Presidency compromise suggestions after the discussions that took place in the Visa Working Party of 28 November 2018.”
• Council: Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation XX/2018 [Interoperability Regulation], and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA – Final Presidency compromise proposals – Silence procedure (LIMITE doc no: 15504-18, pdf);
“As a follow-up to the discussions in the Visa Working Party of 11-12 December 2018, delegations
will find in the Annex the final Presidency compromise suggestions. (…)
Silence procedure
The text in the Annex is going to be submitted to the Permanent Representatives Committee to be
held on 19 December 2018 for obtaining the negotiating mandate, unless Member States raise
substantial objections by 11.00 am, 17 December 2018 in writing (…)
• Council: Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation XX/2018 [Interoperability Regulation], and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA – Mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament (LIMITE doc no:15505-18, pdf):
“As regards querying other systems when processing long-stay visas and residence permits, the
Council Legal Service explained that given the fact that holders of residence permits and
long-stay visas are able to move freely in the Schengen area for a period of no more than 90
days in any 180 days, it is possible, on the basis of Article 77 TFEU, to provide that the
queries in other systems be launched for the purpose of assessing applications for long-stay
visas and residence permits (i.e. the queries should not be launched only after the decision has
been taken, as proposed by the Commission). Chapter IIIb of the draft has been restructured
by the Presidency along the lines of this explanation. This received very broad support from
the delegations and probably constitutes the most substantial change in comparison to the
original Commission proposal.”
• Council: Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation
(EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation XX/2018 [Interoperability Regulation], and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA – Final Presidency compromise proposals after the fifth examination (nonconsolidated version) (LIMITE doc no:15126-Rev-1-18, pdf):
“Delegations will find in the Annex for information the “non-consolidated” version of the final
Presidency compromise proposals which is set out in doc. 15125/18. Coreper on 19 December 2018
should adopt the Council negotiating mandate in this format.”
• Council: Final Presidency compromise proposals after the fifth examination (nonconsolidated
version) – Previous version of above document (LIMITE doc no: 15126-18, pdf):
“Delegations will find in the Annex for information the “non-consolidated” version of the final
Presidency compromise proposals which is set out in doc. 15125/18. Coreper on 19 December 2018
should adopt the Council negotiating mandate in this format.”
• Council: Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation XX/2018 [Interoperability Regulation], and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA – Presidency compromise proposals after the fourth examination (LIMITE doc no: 14350-18, pdf) Covers VIS discussions.
• Council: Interoperability “state of play”: Planned centralised “Big Brother” database coming your way by 2023 (Statewatch News)
The Council Presidency has produced a Note on: Interoperability: state of play (LIMITE doc no: 14193-18, pdf) which says that: “The Presidency and the co-rapporteurs [of the European Parliament] are committed to reaching a political agreement on this file by the end of December.” [emphasis added throughout]
If this objective is achieved: “it would mean that the entry into operations of the four interoperability components (European Search Portal, shared Biometric Matching Service, Common Identity Repository and Multiple Identity Detector) could be achieved by 2023 if the delegated acts and implementing acts included in the interoperability file are all adopted by 2020.”
Legal acts
u003cpu003e• EU: Interoperability: Borders and visas: u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.statewatch.orghttps://statewatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/eu-ep-legis-act-borders-and-visas-PE-30-19.pdfu0022u003eRegulation on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems in the field of borders and visa and amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EU) 2016/399, (EU) 2017/2226, (EU) 2018/1240, (EU) 2018/1726 and (EU) 2018/1861 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Decisions 2004/512/EC and 2008/633/JHAu003c/au003eu003c/bu003e (PE-CONS 30/19, 2 May 2019, pdf)u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003e• EU: Interoperability: Police and judicial cooperation, asylum and migration: u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.statewatch.orghttps://statewatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/eu-ep-legis-act-interop-police-judicial-cooperation-20asylum-migration-PE-31-19.pdfu0022u003eRegulation on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems in the field of police and judicial cooperation, asylum and migration and amending Regulations (EU) 2018/1726, (EU) 2018/1862 and (EU) 2019/…*u003c/au003eu003c/bu003e (PE-CONS 31/19, 2 May 2019, pdf)u003c/pu003e
The trilogue process
u003cpu003eEUu003cbu003e: u003ca href=u0022https://www.statewatch.org/news/2019/feb/eu-bi-brother-agreed.-regs-text.htmu0022u003eu0022Interoperableu0022databases or rather the creation of a centralised Justice and Home Affairs database: First two measures agreed between the Council and the European Parliament – full text of Regulationsu003c/au003eu003c/bu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003e u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003e• Police cooperation, asylum and migration: u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.statewatch.orghttps://statewatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/eu-trilogue-bb-policing-borders-migration.pdfu0022u003eRegulation on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems (police and judicial cooperation, asylum and migration) and amending [Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the Eurodac Regulation],] Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the Regulation on SIS in the field of law enforcement], Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the ECRIS-TCN Regulation] and Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the eu-LISA Regulation]u003c/au003eu003c/bu003e (326 pages, pdf): Four column document with the Commission proposal, the Council position, the European Parliament position and the a agreed u0022compromiseu0022 text.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003e• Borders and visa: u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.statewatch.orghttps://statewatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/eu-trilogue-bb-borders-visas.pdfu0022u003eRegulation on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems (borders and visa) and amending Council Decision 2004/512/EC, Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Council Decision 2008/633/JHA, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the ETIAS Regulation], Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the Regulation on SIS in the field of border checks] and Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the eu-LISA Regulation]xxu003c/au003e u003c/bu003e(437 pages, pdf). Four column document with the Commission proposal, the Council position, the European Parliament position and the a agreed u0022compromiseu0022 text.u003cbr /u003e• u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.statewatch.org/news/2018/oct/eu-interop-borders-trilogue.htmlu0022u003eTrilogue on interoperable centralised database starts on borders and asylum aspectsu003c/au003eu003c/bu003eu003cbr /u003eu003cbr /u003eThe trilogue between the Council and the European Parliament on the interoperable centralised database started last week with consideration of one of the new overall Regulations: u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.statewatch.org/news/2018/oct/eu-trilogue-interoperabilty-bordders-4-column.pdfu0022u003eRegulation on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems (borders and visa) and amending Council Decision 2004/512/EC, Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Council Decision 2008/633/JHA, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the ETIAS Regulation], Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the Regulation on SIS in the field of border checks] and Regulation (EU) 2018/XX [the eu-LISA Regulation]u003c/au003eu003c/bu003e (pdf). This is the first multi-column document with the Commission proposal, the parliament amendments, the Council’s negotiating mandate and the u0022comprise position.u0022u003c/pu003e
Official documents
Related research
Statewatch analyses
u003cpu003e• UPDATED: u003ca href=u0022http://www.statewatch.org/analyses/no-332-eu-interop-morphs-into-central-database-revised.pdfu0022u003eThe “Point of no return”: Interoperability morphs into the creation of a Big Brother centralised EU state database including all existing and future Justice and Home Affairs databasesu003c/au003e (pdf) by Tony Bunyan: This Analysis looks at key critiques of EU plans to create a pervasive EU state database covering existing and future Justice and Home Affairs databases. (July 2018)u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003e• u003ca href=u0022http://www.statewatch.org/analyses/eu-interop-morphs-into-central-database.pdfu0022u003eThe “Point of no return”: Interoperability morphs into the creation of a Big Brother centralised EU state database including all existing and future Justice and Home Affairs databasesu003c/au003e (pdf) by Tony Bunyan: This Analysis looks at key critiques of EU plans to create a pervasive EU state database covering existing and future Justice and Home Affairs databases. (May 2018)u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003e• u003ca href=u0022http://www.statewatch.org/analyses/no-323-interoperability-briefing.pdfu0022u003eBriefing: The interoperability of Justice and Home Affairs databasesu003c/au003e (by Tony Bunyan, March 2018)u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003e• u003ca href=u0022http://www.statewatch.org/analyses/eu-future-group-the-shape-of-things-to-come.pdfu0022u003eThe Shape of Things to Comeu003c/au003e: Chapter 6 (by Tony Bunyan, 2009)u003cbru003eu003cbru003e• u003ca href=u0022http://www.statewatch.org/news/2006/december/p-of-a-art.pdfu0022u003eThe “principle of availability”: the free market in access to data/intelligence will rely on “self-regulation” by the law enforcement agencies and make accountability almost meaninglessu003c/au003e (by Tony Bunyan, December 2006).u003c/pu003e
Commentaries
u003cpu003e• Meijers Committee:u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.statewatch.org/news/2018/feb/eu-meijers-cttee-interoperability.pdfu0022u003e Comments on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems (police and judicial cooperation, asylum and migrationu003c/au003eu003c/bu003e) (12 December 2017, COM (2017) 794)u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003e• u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.statewatch.org/interoperability/interoperability/commentaries/20171019_privacy_international_response_to_consultation_on_the_interoperability_of_eu_information_systems_for_borders_and_security_en.pdfu0022u003ePrivacy International response to consultation on the interoperability of EU information systems for borders and securityu003c/au003eu003c/bu003e (2017, pdf)u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003e• EU Fundamental Rights Agency: u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=tu0026amp;rct=ju0026amp;q=u0026amp;esrc=su0026amp;source=webu0026amp;cd=4u0026amp;ved=0ahUKEwjyzLvH4NjbAhVC7BQKHfWtBsYQFgg5MAMu0026amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ffra.europa.eu%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Ffra_uploads%2Ffra-2018-opinion-01-2018-interoperability_en.pdfu0026amp;usg=AOvVaw0WtNpcSmPbil3ypQ-HPvFIu0022u003eOpinion: Interoperability and fundamental rights implicationsu003c/au003eu003c/bu003e (18 April 2018, link)u003c/pu003e
Footnote on u0022Big Brotheru0022
u003cpu003eTony Bunyan, Statewatch Director, comments: u003cbu003eu003ciu003eu0022The time to ring the alarms bells is not when Big Brother is in place but when there are the first signs of its construction.u0022u003c/iu003eu003c/bu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eThe new centralised database is the first step in the creation of u0022EU Big Brotheru0022. The concept of Big Brother is taken from u00221984u0022 the book by u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brother_(Nineteen_Eighty-Four)u0022u003eGeorge Orwellu003c/au003eu003c/bu003e (Wiki, link) where the u0022state wherein the ruling Party wields total power u0022for its own sakeu0022 over the inhabitants.u0022 Orwell set the story in a totalitarian state:u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu0022u003ciu003eTotalitarianism is u003cbu003ea political concept where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to control every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible.u003c/bu003e Totalitarian regimes stay in political power through rule by one leader and an all-encompassing propaganda campaign, which is disseminated through the state-controlled mass media, a single party that is often marked by u003cbu003epolitical repression, personality cultism, control over the economy, regulation and restriction of speech, mass surveillance and widespread use of terror.u003c/bu003eu0022u003c/iu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eIn u003ciu003e1984 u003c/iu003eOrwell encapsulated another key feature in the construction of Big Brother which employs u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoughtcrimeu0022u003eThought crimeu003c/au003eu003c/bu003e (link) to maintain hegemony. And tellingly argued that:u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cbu003eu003ciu003e“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”u003c/iu003eu003c/bu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eTo be sure we do not live in a totalitarian state. Yet I have argued elsewhere in u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022http://www.statewatch.org/analyses/eu-future-group-the-shape-of-things-to-come.pdfu0022u003eThe Shape of Things to Comeu003c/au003eu003c/bu003e (2008, pdf) that:u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003ciu003eu0022The creation of a surveillance state, for that is what is being proposed, will take the EU further down the road to authoritarianism, a path which looks less and less likely to be reversible.u0022u003c/iu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eI argued too that authoritarianism – strong central power and limited political freedoms. Individual freedoms are subordinated to the state and where there is little or no constitutional accountability – when coupled with state racism (based on the fear of u0022the otheru0022) is a very dangerous road especially when a veneer of democracy is legitimating the creation of a coercive (and surveillance) state, See: u0022u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.statewatch.org/news/2018/jun/while-Europe-sleeps.pdfu0022u003eWhile Europe sleeps..u003c/au003eu003c/bu003e.u0022 (pdf) in u003cbu003eu003ca href=u0022http://www.statewatch.org/ordering/publications.htmlu0022u003eThe War on Freedom and Democracyu003c/au003eu003c/bu003eu0022u003ciu003e, (u003c/iu003e2005)u003c/pu003e