Directive (EU) 2019/884 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 amending Council Framework Decision 2009/315/JHA, as regards the exchange of information on third-country nationals and as regards the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS), and replacing Council Decision 2009/316/JHA
Date: 2019-04-17

num: Article 1
title: Amendments to Framework Decision 2009/315/JHA
paragraphs: Framework Decision 2009/315/JHA is amended as follows:
(1)
Article 1 is replaced by the following:
This Framework Decision:
(a)
defines the conditions under which a convicting Member State shares information with other Member States on convictions;
(b)
defines obligations for the convicting Member State and for the Member State of the convicted person’s nationality (the “Member State of the person’s nationality”), and specifies the methods to be followed when replying to a request for information extracted from criminal records;
(c)
establishes a decentralised information technology system for the exchange of information on convictions based on the criminal records databases in each Member State, the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS).’;
(2)
in Article 2, the following points are added:
‘(d)
“convicting Member State” means the Member State where a conviction is handed down;
(e)
“third-country national” means a person who is not a citizen of the Union within the meaning of Article 20(1) TFEU, or who is a stateless person or a person whose nationality is unknown;
(f)
“fingerprint data” means the data relating to plain and rolled impressions of the fingerprints of each of a person’s fingers;
(g)
“facial image” means a digital image of a person’s face;
(h)
“ECRIS reference implementation” means the software developed by the Commission and made available to the Member States for the exchange of criminal records information through ECRIS.’;
(3)
in Article 4, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:
‘1. Each convicting Member State shall take all the necessary measures to ensure that convictions handed down within its territory are accompanied by information on the nationality or nationalities of the convicted person if the person is a national of another Member State or a third-country national. Where a convicted person is of unknown nationality or stateless, the criminal record shall reflect this.’;
(4)
Article 6 is amended as follows:
(a)
paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:
‘3. Where a national of one Member State asks the central authority of another Member State for information on his or her own criminal record, that central authority shall submit a request to the central authority of the Member State of the person’s nationality for information and related data to be extracted from the criminal records and shall include such information and related data in the extract to be provided to the person concerned.’;
(b)
the following paragraph is inserted:
‘3a. Where a third-country national asks the central authority of a Member State for information on his or her own criminal record, that central authority shall submit a request only to those central authorities of the Member States which hold information on the criminal record of that person for information and related data to be extracted from the criminal records and shall include such information and related data in the extract to be provided to the person concerned.’;
(5)
Article 7 is amended as follows:
(a)
paragraph 4 is replaced by the following:
‘4. Where information extracted from the criminal records on convictions handed down against a national of a Member State is requested under Article 6 from the central authority of a Member State other than the Member State of the person’s nationality, the requested Member State shall transmit such information to the same extent as provided for in Article 13 of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters.’;
(b)
the following paragraph is inserted:
‘4a. Where information extracted from the criminal records on convictions handed down against a third-country national is requested under Article 6 for the purposes of criminal proceedings, the requested Member State shall transmit information on any conviction handed down in the requested Member State and entered in the criminal records and on any conviction handed down in third countries and subsequently transmitted to it and entered into the criminal records.
If such information is requested for any purpose other than that of criminal proceedings, paragraph 2 of this Article shall apply accordingly.’;
(6)
in Article 8, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:
‘2. Replies to the requests referred to in Article 6(2), (3) and (3a) shall be transmitted within twenty working days from the date the request was received.’;
(7)
Article 9 is amended as follows:
(a)
in paragraph 1, the words ‘Article 7(1) and (4)’ are replaced by ‘Article 7(1), (4) and (4a)’;
(b)
in paragraph 2, the words ‘Article 7(2) and (4)’ are replaced by ‘Article 7(2), (4) and (4a)’;
(c)
in paragraph 3, the words ‘Article 7(1), (2) and (4)’ are replaced by ‘Article 7(1), (2), (4) and (4a)’;
(8)
Article 11 is amended as follows:
(a)
in point (c) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 1, the following point is added:
‘(iv)
facial image.’;
(b)
paragraphs 3 to 7 are replaced by the following:
‘3. Central authorities of Member States shall transmit the following information electronically using ECRIS and a standardised format in accordance with the standards to be laid down in implementing acts:
(a)
information referred to in Article 4;
(b)
requests referred to in Article 6;
(c)
replies referred to in Article 7; and
(d)
other relevant information.
4. If the mode of transmission referred to in paragraph 3 is not available, central authorities of Member States shall transmit all information referred to in paragraph 3 by any means capable of producing a written record under conditions allowing the central authority of the receiving Member State to establish the authenticity of the information, taking the security of transmission into consideration.
If the mode of transmission referred to in paragraph 3 is not available for an extended period of time, the Member State concerned shall inform the other Member States and the Commission.
5. Each Member State shall carry out the technical alterations necessary for its use of the standardised format to electronically transmit all information as referred to in paragraph 3 to other Member States via ECRIS. Each Member State shall notify the Commission of the date from which it will be able to carry out such transmissions.’;
(9)
the following Articles are inserted:
1. In order to exchange information extracted from criminal records in accordance with this Framework Decision electronically, a decentralised information technology system based on the criminal records databases in each Member State, the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS), is established. It is composed of the following elements:
(a)
ECRIS reference implementation;
(b)
a common communication infrastructure between central authorities that provides an encrypted network.
To ensure the confidentiality and integrity of criminal records information transmitted to other Member States, appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be used, taking into account the state of the art, the cost of implementation and the risks posed by the processing of information.
2. All criminal records data shall be stored solely in databases operated by the Member States.
3. The central authorities of the Member States shall not have direct access to the criminal records databases of other Member States.
4. The ECRIS reference implementation and databases storing, sending and receiving information extracted from criminal records shall operate under the responsibility of the Member State concerned. The European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) established by Regulation (EU) 2018/1726 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*1) shall support the Member States in accordance with its tasks as laid down in Regulation (EU) 2019/816 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*2).
5. The common communication infrastructure shall be operated under the responsibility of the Commission. It shall fulfil the necessary security requirements and fully meet the needs of ECRIS.
6. eu-LISA shall provide, further develop and maintain the ECRIS reference implementation.
7. Each Member State shall bear its own costs arising from the implementation, administration, use and maintenance of its criminal records database and the installation and use of the ECRIS reference implementation.
The Commission shall bear the costs arising from the implementation, administration, use, maintenance and future development of the common communication infrastructure.
8. The Member States which use their national ECRIS implementation software in accordance with paragraphs 4 to 8 of Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/816 may continue to use their national ECRIS implementation software instead of the ECRIS reference implementation, provided that they fulfil all the conditions set out in those paragraphs.
1. The Commission shall lay down the following in implementing acts:
(a)
the standardised format referred to in Article 11(3), including as regards information on the offence giving rise to the conviction and information on the content of the conviction;
(b)
the rules concerning the technical implementation of ECRIS and the exchange of fingerprint data;
(c)
any other technical means of organising and facilitating exchanges of information on convictions between central authorities of Member States, including:
(i)
the means of facilitating the understanding and automatic translation of transmitted information;
(ii)
the means by which information may be exchanged electronically, particularly as regards the technical specifications to be used and, if need be, any applicable exchange procedures.
2. The implementing acts referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 12a(2).
(10)
the following Article is inserted:
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.
Where the committee delivers no opinion, the Commission shall not adopt the draft implementing act and the third subparagraph of Article 5(4) of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.’;
(11)
the following Article is inserted:
1. By 29 June 2023, the Commission shall submit a report on the application of this Framework Decision to the European Parliament and to the Council. The report shall assess the extent to which the Member States have taken the necessary measures to comply with this Framework Decision, including its technical implementation.
2. The report shall be accompanied, where appropriate, by relevant legislative proposals.
3. The Commission shall regularly publish a report concerning the exchange of information extracted from the criminal record through ECRIS and concerning the use of ECRIS-TCN based in particular on the statistics provided by eu-LISA and the Member States in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/816. The report shall be published for the first time one year after the report referred to in paragraph 1 is submitted.
4. The Commission report referred to in paragraph 3 shall cover in particular the level of exchange of information between Member States, including that relating to third-country nationals, as well as the purpose of requests and their respective number, including requests for purposes other than criminal proceedings, such as background checks and requests for information from the persons concerned on their own criminal record.’.
num: Article 2
title: Replacement of Decision 2009/316/JHA
paragraphs: Decision 2009/316/JHA is replaced with regard to the Member States bound by this Directive, without prejudice to the obligations of those Member States with regard to the date for implementation of that Decision.
num: Article 3
title: Transposition
paragraphs: 1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 28 June 2022. They shall immediately communicate the text of those measures to the Commission.
When Member States adopt those measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. They shall also include a statement that references in existing laws, regulations and administrative provisions to the Decision replaced by this Directive shall be construed as references to this Directive. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made and how that statement is to be formulated.
2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.
3. Member States shall carry out the technical alterations referred to in Article 11(5) of Framework Decision 2009/315/JHA, as amended by this Directive, by 28 June 2022.
num: Article 4
title: Entry into force and application
paragraphs: This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Article 2 shall apply from 28 June 2022.
num: Article 5
title: Addressees
paragraphs: This Directive is addressed to the Member States in accordance with the Treaties.