Eurodac is a Europe-wide fingerprint database of applicants for
asylum and illegal immigrants. The EDPS conducted a detailed
security audit of the system to ensure that people's data was being
properly treated. That audit found problems, the EDPS said.
"Some parts of the systems and the organizational security
present some weaknesses which will have to be addressed in order
for Eurodac to fully comply with best practices and the
implementation of best available techniques," said the EDPS.
The full report has not been released, but the EDPS did publish
a summary of its findings. Many of them were positive, it said.
"The security measures initially implemented with respect to the
Eurodac system and the way they have been maintained during these
first four years of activity have provided a fair level of
protection to date," it said.
"The EDPS will review the proper implementation of the follow-up
measures which will be elaborated on the basis of the present
report.
The Eurodac system is designed to help identify if an asylum
seeker or illegal immigrant has already registered an application
for asylum with an EU member state by comparing fingerprint records
across Europe.
The system was inspected earlier this year by a supervision
co-ordination group consisting of national data protection
authorities and the EDPS. It found that some searches against
fingerprint records had been carried out improperly.
"Eurodac authorities should develop written and formal
procedures to ensure that access to Eurodac data is limited to the
purposes of the Eurodac Regulation," said July's report. "In
particular, request of CAT3 searches should be documented in such a
way that they are used in strict compliance with the Eurodac
Regulation."
Category 3 searches are 'optional searches for third country
nationals apprehended when illegally staying on the territory',
according to a European Commission working paper.
This month's new security audit was separate to that and the
EDPS said that it will ensure its recommendations are followed.
"The EDPS will review the proper implementation of the follow-up
measures which will be elaborated on the basis of the present
report," it said.
