At the end of December three new Regulations governing the Schengen Information System II (SIS II), the EU's largest database and information system for law enforcement and migration purposes, came into force.
The new rules expand the types of information that will be held in the system (to include all return (deportation) decisions issued by national authorities), the types of check that can be carried out by officials (new “inquiry checks” provide a basis for questioning of individuals) as well as the types of data to be held in the system (for example, DNA profiles can now be stored).
The three Regulations in question are:
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1862 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the establishment, operation and use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, amending and repealing Council Decision 2007/533/JHA, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1986/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Decision 2010/261/EU (pdf and on Eur-Lex)
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1860 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the use of the Schengen Information System for the return of illegally staying third-country nationals (pdf and on Eur-Lex)
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1861 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the establishment, operation and use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of border checks, and amending the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement, and amending and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006 (pdf and on Eur-Lex)
A press release published by the European Commission (pdf) provides a brief overview and a further examination of the revamped system is available here: Europe’s largest police database expanded again (Matthias Monroy, link)