Case C-80/23, Ministerstvo na vatreshnite raboti (Recording of biometric and genetic data II): Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 28 November 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Sofiyski gradski sad – Bulgaria) – Criminal proceedings against V.S. (Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Directive (EU) 2016/680 – Article 4(1)(a) to (c) – Article 8(1) and (2) – Article 10 – Accused person – Police record containing biometric and genetic data – Enforcement – Objectives of prevention and detection of criminal offences – Interpretation of the judgment of 26 January 2023, Ministerstvo na vatreshnite raboti (Recording of biometric and genetic data by the police) (C-205/21, EU:C:2023:49) – Obligation to interpret national law in conformity with EU law – Assessment of whether it is strictly necessary for the competent authorities to process sensitive data – Role of the competent authorities)
Date: 2024-11-28
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: biometrics, charge, criminal proceedings, data protection, data-processing law, personal data, protection of privacy








C_202500364EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/364


27.1.2025






Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 28 November 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Sofiyski gradski sad – Bulgaria) – Criminal proceedings against V.S.


(Case C-80/23,
                (1)
Ministerstvo na vatreshnite raboti (Recording of biometric and genetic data II))

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data - Directive (EU) 2016/680 - Article 4(1)(a) to (c) - Article 8(1) and (2) - Article 10 - Accused person - Police record containing biometric and genetic data - Enforcement - Objectives of prevention and detection of criminal offences - Interpretation of the judgment of 26 January 2023, Ministerstvo na vatreshnite raboti (Recording of biometric and genetic data by the police) (C-205/21, EU:C:2023:49) - Obligation to interpret national law in conformity with EU law - Assessment of whether it is ‘strictly necessary’ for the competent authorities to process sensitive data - Role of the competent authorities)
(C/2025/364)
Language of the case: Bulgarian

Referring court

Sofiyski gradski sad

Party/parties in the main proceedings

V.S.

Intervener in support of the party to the main criminal proceedings: Ministerstvo na vatreshnite raboti, Glavna direktsia za borba s organiziranata prestapnost

Operative part of the judgment

Article 10 of Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties, and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Council Framework Decision 2008/977/JHA, read in conjunction with Article 4(1)(a) to (c) and Article 8(1) and (2) of that directive,
must be interpreted as meaning that where national legislation provides for the systematic collection of biometric and genetic data of any person accused of an intentional offence subject to public prosecution in order for them to be entered in a record, without laying down an obligation on the competent authority, within the meaning of Article 3(7) of that directive, to verify whether and demonstrate that their collection is strictly necessary, in accordance with Article 10 of that directive, compliance with such an obligation cannot be ensured by the court seised by that competent authority for the purpose of the enforcement of that collection, because it is for that competent authority to carry out the assessment required under Article 10.


(1)  
            OJ C 155, 2.5.2023.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/364/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)