on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Principality of Liechtenstein on the application of certain provisions of Council Decision 2008/615/JHA on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime, of Council Decision 2008/616/JHA on the implementation of Decision 2008/615/JHA on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime, and the Annex thereto, and of Council Framework Decision 2009/905/JHA on accreditation of forensic service providers carrying out laboratory activities

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1.CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL

•Reasons for and objectives of the proposal

Council Decision 2008/615/JHA of 23 June 2008 on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime (’the Prüm Decision’), was adopted in order to incorporate into the legal framework of the European Union the substance of the provisions of the previous Prüm Treaty on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly on combating terrorism, cross-border crime and illegal migration, which was agreed by seven European Countries on 27 May 2005. On the same day, the Council also adopted Decision 2008/616/JHA of 23 June 2008 on the implementation of Decision 2008/615/JHA on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime (’the Prüm Implementing Decision’), which lays down the necessary technical provisions for the implementation of Decision 2008/615/JHA.

The Prüm Decision and the Prüm Implementing Decision are designed to improve the exchange of information between the authorities responsible for the prevention and investigation of criminal offences and to enhance cross-border police and judicial cooperation among the Member States of the Union. The Prüm Decision contains, inter alia, provisions whereby Member States grant one another, on a mutual basis, access rights to their automated DNA analysis files, automated dactyloscopic identification systems and vehicle registration data. The information obtained by comparing data will open up, indeed, new investigative approaches and thus play a crucial role in assisting Member States' law enforcement and judicial authorities.

On 30 November 2009, the Council adopted Council Framework Decision 2009/905/JHA, on accreditation of forensic service providers carrying out laboratory activities (’the Forensic Decision’). This Council Framework Decision lays down the requirements for the exchange of DNA and fingerprint data, in order to ensure that the results of laboratory activities carried out by accredited forensic service providers in one Member State are recognised by the authorities responsible for the prevention, detection and investigation of criminal offences as being equally reliable as the results of laboratory activities carried out by forensic service providers accredited to EN ISO/IEC 17025 within any other Member State.

In October 2015, the Commission submitted the recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the negotiations for the conclusion of agreements with the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein on the application of certain provisions of Council Decision 2008/615/JHA on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime, of Council Decision 2008/616/JHA on the implementation of Decision 2008/615/JHA on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime, and the Annex thereto,, including the Annex (Negotiation Directives), to the Council.

On 10 June 2016, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein on the application of certain provisions of Council Decision 2008/615/JHA, of Council Decision 2008/616/JHA, and the Annex thereto, and of Council Framework Decision 2009/905/JHA on accreditation of forensic service providers carrying out laboratory activities. The negotiations have been successfully finalised with the both countries by the initialling of the Agreement on 24 May 2018.

The Commission considers that the objectives set by the Council in its negotiating directives were attained and that the draft Agreement is acceptable to the Union.

This international agreement between the EU and Liechtenstein aims to improve and simplify the automated exchange of information and intelligence between law enforcement authorities of the Member States and this associated country, in order to stimulate international police cooperation. The possibility for all the Member States to have access to the national databases of the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Lichtenstein, regarding the DNA, dactyloscopic and vehicle registration data, and the other way around, is undoubtedly of central importance in order to foster and encourage the cross-border police cooperation. The improvement of law enforcement information exchange for maintaining the security in the European Union cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States in isolation, due to the nature of international crime which is not confined to the EU borders.

•Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area

The Principality of Liechtenstein has acceded to the Association Agreement of 26 October 2004 by way of the Protocol between the European Union, the European Community, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein on the accession of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the Agreement between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Swiss Confederation’s association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis. Thus the Principality of Liechtenstein has joined the Council Framework Decision 2006/960/JHA of 18 December 2006 on simplifying the exchange of information and intelligence between law enforcement authorities of the Member States of the European Union, the so-called ‘Swedish Initiative’, which constitutes a development of provisions of the Schengen acquis.

The Swedish Initiative is, to a certain extent, related to the Prüm Decision, since it lays down rules whereby the law enforcement authorities of the Member States and the associated countries may exchange existing information and intelligence effectively for the purpose of carrying out criminal investigations or criminal intelligence operations. According to Article 5(1) of the Swedish Initiative information and intelligence may be requested for the purpose of detection, prevention or investigation of an offence when there are factual reasons to believe that the relevant information and intelligence is available in another Member State. The automated information exchange under the Prüm Decision is suitable to establish such factual reasons.

Moreover, according to Article 20(1) of Regulation (EU) No 603/2013, prior to making a law enforcement access request to Eurodac, Member States must first check fingerprint databases available under national law and compare the fingerprint dataset with the Automated Fingerprint Databases of other Member States under the Prüm Decision. Member States that do not fulfil the pre-condition of undertaking a Prüm check, which is a compulsory pre-requisite, will not be able to make a law enforcement access request to Eurodac.

On 14 December 2015, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations on agreements between the Union, on the one part, and Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, on the other part, on the modalities of the participation by these States to the procedure for comparison and data transmission for law enforcement purposes laid down in the Chapter VI of Regulation (EU) No 603/2013.

The international agreement between the Union and Iceland and Norway on the application of certain provisions of Council Decision 2008/615/JHA on the stepping up of cross- border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime and Council Decision 2008/616/JHA on the implementation of Decision 2008/615/JHA on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime, was concluded on 26 July 2010.

In accordance with Article 3 of Protocol No 21 on the Position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, these Member States shall notify their wish to take part in the adoption and application of this proposal for a Council Decision within three months after its adoption by the Commission.

In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of Protocol No 22 on the Position of Denmark, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application.