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EU: European Data Protection Supervisor: EURODAC: erosion of fundamental rights creeps along

10 September 2012

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"The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted his opinion on the amended Commission proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of 'EURODAC' for the comparison of the fingerprints of asylum seekers.

A significant addition to this amended proposal is the access to EURODAC data by law enforcement authorities. While the EDPS understands that the availability of a database with fingerprints could be a useful additional tool in combating crime, this amendment is a serious intrusion into the rights of a vulnerable group of people in need of protection and he asks if such access is really necessary.

Peter Hustinx, EDPS, says: “Just because the data has already been collected, it should not be used for another purpose which may have a far-reaching negative impact on the lives of individuals. To intrude upon the privacy of individuals and risk stigmatising them requires strong justification and the Commission has simply not provided sufficient reason why asylum seekers should be singled out for such treatment."

See:
- Press release (pdf)
- Full opinion (pdf)

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