Article 63 Amendments to Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006
Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006 is amended as follows: Article 6 is replaced by the following: 
‘Article 6
National Systems
1. Each Member State shall be responsible for setting up, operating, maintaining and further developing its N.SIS II and connecting it to NI-SIS.
2. Each Member State shall be responsible for ensuring the uninterrupted availability of SIS II data to end-users.’; Article 11 is replaced by the following: 
‘Article 11
Confidentiality – Member States
1. Each Member State shall apply its rules of professional secrecy or other equivalent duties of confidentiality to all persons and bodies required to work with SIS II data and supplementary information, in accordance with its national legislation. This obligation shall also apply after those people leave office or employment or after the termination of the activities of those bodies.
2. Where a Member State cooperates with external contractors in any SIS II-related tasks, it shall closely monitor the activities of the contractor to ensure compliance with all provisions of this Regulation, in particular on security, confidentiality and data protection.
3. The operational management of N.SIS II or of any technical copies shall not be entrusted to private companies or private organisations.’; Article 15 is amended as follows: (a) the following paragraph is inserted: ‘3a. The Management Authority shall develop and maintain a mechanism and procedures for carrying out quality checks on the data in CS-SIS. It shall provide regular reports to the Member States in this regard. The Management Authority shall provide a regular report to the Commission covering the issues encountered and the Member States concerned. The Commission shall provide the European Parliament and the Council with a regular report on data quality issues that are encountered.’; (b) paragraph 8 is replaced by the following: ‘8. The operational management of Central SIS II shall consist of all the tasks necessary to keep Central SIS II functioning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in accordance with this Regulation, in particular the maintenance work and technical developments necessary for the smooth running of the system. Those tasks shall also include the coordination, management and support of testing activities for Central SIS II and the N.SIS II that ensure that Central SIS II and the N.SIS II operate in accordance with the requirements for technical compliance set out in Article 9.’; Article 15 is amended as follows: (a) the following paragraph is inserted: ‘3a. The Management Authority shall develop and maintain a mechanism and procedures for carrying out quality checks on the data in CS-SIS. It shall provide regular reports to the Member States in this regard. The Management Authority shall provide a regular report to the Commission covering the issues encountered and the Member States concerned. The Commission shall provide the European Parliament and the Council with a regular report on data quality issues that are encountered.’; the following paragraph is inserted: ‘3a. The Management Authority shall develop and maintain a mechanism and procedures for carrying out quality checks on the data in CS-SIS. It shall provide regular reports to the Member States in this regard. The Management Authority shall provide a regular report to the Commission covering the issues encountered and the Member States concerned. The Commission shall provide the European Parliament and the Council with a regular report on data quality issues that are encountered.’; paragraph 8 is replaced by the following: ‘8. The operational management of Central SIS II shall consist of all the tasks necessary to keep Central SIS II functioning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in accordance with this Regulation, in particular the maintenance work and technical developments necessary for the smooth running of the system. Those tasks shall also include the coordination, management and support of testing activities for Central SIS II and the N.SIS II that ensure that Central SIS II and the N.SIS II operate in accordance with the requirements for technical compliance set out in Article 9.’; (4) in Article 17, the following paragraphs are added: ‘3. Where the Management Authority cooperates with external contractors in any SIS II-related tasks, it shall closely monitor the activities of the contractor to ensure compliance with all provisions of this Regulation, in particular on security, confidentiality and data protection. 4. The operational management of CS-SIS shall not be entrusted to private companies or private organisations.’; in Article 17, the following paragraphs are added: ‘3. Where the Management Authority cooperates with external contractors in any SIS II-related tasks, it shall closely monitor the activities of the contractor to ensure compliance with all provisions of this Regulation, in particular on security, confidentiality and data protection. 4. The operational management of CS-SIS shall not be entrusted to private companies or private organisations.’; in Article 20(2), the following point is inserted: ‘(ka) the type of offence;’; in Article 21, the following paragraph is added: ‘Where the decision to refuse entry and stay referred to in Article 24(2) is related to a terrorist offence, the case shall be considered adequate, relevant and important enough to warrant an alert in SIS II. For public or national security reasons, Member States may exceptionally refrain from entering an alert when it is likely to obstruct official or legal inquiries, investigations or procedures.’; Article 22 is replaced by the following: 
‘Article 22
Specific rules for entering, verification or search with photographs and fingerprints
1. Photographs and fingerprints shall only be entered following a special quality check to ascertain whether they fulfil minimum data quality standards. The specification of the special quality check shall be established in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 51(2).
2. Where photographs and fingerprint data are available in an alert in SIS II, such photographs and fingerprint data shall be used to confirm the identity of a person who has been located as a result of an alphanumeric search made in SIS II.
3. Fingerprint data may be searched in all cases to identify a person. However, fingerprint data shall be searched to identify a person where the identity of the person cannot be ascertained by other means. For that purpose, the Central SIS II shall contain an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
4. Fingerprint data in SIS II in relation to alerts entered in accordance with Articles 24 and 26 may also be searched using complete or incomplete sets of fingerprints discovered at the scenes of serious crimes or terrorist offences under investigation, where it can be established to a high degree of probability that those sets of prints belong to a perpetrator of the offence and provided that the search is carried out simultaneously in the Member State's relevant national fingerprints databases.’; Article 26 is replaced by the following: 
‘Article 26
Conditions for entering alerts on third-country nationals subject to restrictive measures
1. Alerts on third-country nationals who are the subject of a restrictive measure intended to prevent entry into or transit through the territory of Member States taken in accordance with legal acts adopted by the Council, including measures implementing a travel ban issued by the Security Council of the United Nations, shall, insofar as data-quality requirements are satisfied, be entered into SIS II for the purpose of refusing entry and stay.
2. The alerts shall be entered, kept up-to-date and deleted by the competent authority of the Member State which holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the time of the adoption of the measure. If that Member State does not have access to SIS II or to alerts entered in accordance with this Regulation, the responsibility shall be taken up by the Member State which holds the subsequent Presidency and which has access to SIS II, including to alerts entered in accordance with this Regulation.
Member States shall put in place the necessary procedures for entering, updating and deleting such alerts.’; the following Articles are inserted: 
‘Article 27a
Access to data in SIS II by Europol
1. The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), established by Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *1 ), shall, where necessary to fulfil its mandate, have the right to access and search data in SIS II. Europol may also exchange and further request supplementary information in accordance with the provisions of the SIRENE Manual.
2. Where a search by Europol reveals the existence of an alert in SIS II, Europol shall inform the issuing Member State through the exchange of supplementary information by means of the Communication Infrastructure and in accordance with the provisions set out in the SIRENE Manual. Until Europol is able to use the functionalities intended for the exchange of supplementary information, it shall inform issuing Member States through the channels defined by Regulation (EU) 2016/794.
3. Europol may process the supplementary information that has been provided to it by Member States for the purposes of comparing it with its databases and operational analysis projects, aimed at identifying connections or other relevant links and for the strategic, thematic or operational analyses referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of Article 18(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/794. Any processing by Europol of supplementary information for the purpose of this Article shall be carried out in accordance with that Regulation.
4. Europol's use of information obtained from a search in SIS II or from the processing of supplementary information shall be subject to the consent of the issuing Member State. If the Member State allows the use of such information, its handling by Europol shall be governed by Regulation (EU) 2016/794. Europol shall only communicate such information to third countries and third bodies with the consent of the issuing Member State and in full compliance with Union law on data protection.
5. Europol shall:
(a) without prejudice to paragraphs 4 and 6, not connect parts of SIS II nor transfer the data contained in it to which it has access to any system for data collection and processing operated by or at Europol, nor download or otherwise copy any part of SIS II;
(a)
without prejudice to paragraphs 4 and 6, not connect parts of SIS II nor transfer the data contained in it to which it has access to any system for data collection and processing operated by or at Europol, nor download or otherwise copy any part of SIS II;
without prejudice to paragraphs 4 and 6, not connect parts of SIS II nor transfer the data contained in it to which it has access to any system for data collection and processing operated by or at Europol, nor download or otherwise copy any part of SIS II;
(b) notwithstanding Article 31(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/794, delete supplementary information containing personal data at the latest one year after the related alert has been deleted. By way of derogation, where Europol has information in its databases or operational analysis projects on a case to which the supplementary information is related, in order for Europol to perform its tasks, Europol may exceptionally continue to store the supplementary information when necessary. Europol shall inform the issuing and the executing Member State of the continued storage of such supplementary information and present a justification for it;
(b)
notwithstanding Article 31(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/794, delete supplementary information containing personal data at the latest one year after the related alert has been deleted. By way of derogation, where Europol has information in its databases or operational analysis projects on a case to which the supplementary information is related, in order for Europol to perform its tasks, Europol may exceptionally continue to store the supplementary information when necessary. Europol shall inform the issuing and the executing Member State of the continued storage of such supplementary information and present a justification for it;
notwithstanding Article 31(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/794, delete supplementary information containing personal data at the latest one year after the related alert has been deleted. By way of derogation, where Europol has information in its databases or operational analysis projects on a case to which the supplementary information is related, in order for Europol to perform its tasks, Europol may exceptionally continue to store the supplementary information when necessary. Europol shall inform the issuing and the executing Member State of the continued storage of such supplementary information and present a justification for it;
(c) limit access to data in SIS II, including supplementary information, to specifically authorised staff of Europol who require access to such data for the performance of their tasks;
(c)
limit access to data in SIS II, including supplementary information, to specifically authorised staff of Europol who require access to such data for the performance of their tasks;
limit access to data in SIS II, including supplementary information, to specifically authorised staff of Europol who require access to such data for the performance of their tasks;
(d) adopt and apply measures to ensure security, confidentiality and self-monitoring in accordance with Articles 10, 11 and 13;
(d)
adopt and apply measures to ensure security, confidentiality and self-monitoring in accordance with Articles 10, 11 and 13;
adopt and apply measures to ensure security, confidentiality and self-monitoring in accordance with Articles 10, 11 and 13;
(e) ensure that its staff who are authorised to process SIS II data receive appropriate training and information in accordance with Article 14; and
(e)
ensure that its staff who are authorised to process SIS II data receive appropriate training and information in accordance with Article 14; and
ensure that its staff who are authorised to process SIS II data receive appropriate training and information in accordance with Article 14; and
(f) without prejudice to Regulation (EU) 2016/794, allow the European Data Protection Supervisor to monitor and review the activities of Europol in the exercise of its right to access and search data in SIS II and in the exchange and processing of supplementary information.
(f)
without prejudice to Regulation (EU) 2016/794, allow the European Data Protection Supervisor to monitor and review the activities of Europol in the exercise of its right to access and search data in SIS II and in the exchange and processing of supplementary information.
without prejudice to Regulation (EU) 2016/794, allow the European Data Protection Supervisor to monitor and review the activities of Europol in the exercise of its right to access and search data in SIS II and in the exchange and processing of supplementary information.
6. Europol shall only copy data from SIS II for technical purposes where such copying is necessary in order for duly authorised Europol staff to carry out a direct search. This Regulation shall apply to such copies. The technical copy shall only be used for the purpose of storing SIS II data whilst those data are searched. Once the data have been searched they shall be deleted. Such uses shall not be considered to be unlawful downloading or copying of SIS II data. Europol shall not copy alert data or additional data issued by Member States or from CS-SIS II into other Europol systems.
7. For the purpose of verifying the lawfulness of data processing, self-monitoring and ensuring proper data security and integrity, Europol shall keep logs of every access to and search in SIS II in accordance with the provisions of Article 12. Such logs and documentation shall not be considered to be unlawful downloading or copying of part of SIS II.
8. Member States shall inform Europol through the exchange of supplementary information of any hit on alerts related to terrorist offences. Member States may exceptionally not inform Europol if doing so would jeopardise current investigations, the safety of an individual or be contrary to essential interests of the security of the issuing Member State.
9. Paragraph 8 shall apply from the date that Europol is able to receive supplementary information in accordance with paragraph 1. 
‘Article 27b
Access to data in SIS II by the European Border and Coast Guard teams, teams of staff involved in return-related tasks, and members of the migration management support teams
1. In accordance with Article 40(8) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *2 ), the members of the teams referred to in points (8) and (9) of Article 2 of that Regulation shall, within their mandate and provided that they are authorised to carry out checks in accordance with Article 27(1) of this Regulation and have received the required training in accordance with Article 14 of this Regulation, have the right to access and search data in SIS II insofar it is necessary for the performance of their task and as required by the operational plan for a specific operation. Access to data in SIS II shall not be extended to any other team members.
2. Members of the teams referred to in paragraph 1 shall exercise the right to access and search data in SIS II in accordance with paragraph 1 through a technical interface. The technical interface shall be set up and maintained by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and shall allow direct connection to Central SIS II.
3. Where a search by a member of the teams referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article reveals the existence of an alert in SIS II, the issuing Member State shall be informed thereof. In accordance with Article 40 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1624, members of the teams shall only act in response to an alert in SIS II under instructions from and, as a general rule, in the presence of border guards or staff involved in return-related tasks of the host Member State in which they are operating. The host Member State may authorise members of the teams to act on its behalf.
4. For the purpose of verifying the lawfulness of data processing, self-monitoring and ensuring proper data security and integrity, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency shall keep logs of every access to and search in SIS II in accordance with the provisions of Article 12.
5. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency shall adopt and apply measures to ensure security, confidentiality and self-monitoring in accordance with Articles 10, 11 and 13 and shall ensure that the teams referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article apply those measures.
6. Nothing in this Article shall be interpreted as affecting the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 concerning data protection or the European Border and Coast Guard Agency's liability for any unauthorised or incorrect processing of data by it.
7. Without prejudice to paragraph 2, no parts of SIS II shall be connected to any system for data collection and processing operated by the teams referred to in paragraph 1 or by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, nor shall the data in SIS II to which those teams have access be transferred to such a system. No part of SIS II shall be downloaded or copied. The logging of access and searches shall not be considered to be unlawful downloading or copying of SIS II data.
8. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency shall allow the European Data Protection Supervisor to monitor and review the activities of the teams referred to in this Article in the exercise of their right to access and search data in SIS II. This shall be without prejudice to the further provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *3 ).
Amendment rationale: CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL Reasons for and objectives of the proposal In September 2018, the Council and the European Parliament adopted two legislative acts, a Regulation establishing the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (‘ETIAS’) 1 and an amendment of the Europol Regulation for the purpose of establishing ETIAS 2 . Establishing ETIAS is among efforts undertaken in recent years at EU level to enhance the security of citizens and prevent irregular migration in an open Europe, securing and continuing to strengthen the management of external borders 3 , 4 . The context and the establishment of the system were announced in the 2016 State of the Union speech. President Juncker said: ‘ We will defend our borders […] with strict controls […] on everyone crossing them. Every time someone enters or exits the EU, there will be a record of when, where and why. In November [2016] we will propose a European travel information and authorisation system – an automated system to determine who will be allowed to travel to Europe. That way we will know who is travelling to Europe before they even get here ” . ETIAS will fill the information gap on travellers exempt from the requirement of being in possession of a visa when crossing the external borders. ETIAS will determine the eligibility of visa-exempt third-country nationals prior to their travel to the Schengen Area and whether such travel poses a security, irregular migration or high epidemic risk. ETIAS will also give travellers confidence that they would be able to cross the borders smoothly. If needed, ETIAS travel authorisation could be denied by ETIAS National Units. The assessment of such risks will involve automated processing of personal data provided in the applications for travel authorisation. The ETIAS Regulation establishes that personal data in the applications will be compared with the data present in records, files or alerts registered in EU information systems or databases (the ETIAS Central System, Schengen Information System (‘SIS’), the Visa Information System (‘VIS’), the Entry/Exit System ‘(EES’) or Eurodac), in Europol data or in the Interpol databases (the Interpol Stolen and Lost Travel Document database (‘SLTD’) or the Interpol Travel Documents Associated with Notices database (‘TDAWN’)) 5 . While the Regulation defines in its Article 20 which group of data from the ETIAS application files can be used to consult the other systems, not all those data are collected or recorded in the same way in the other EU information systems and Europol data. For instance in one of the systems, ‘country of issue of the travel document’ is collected while in another the same data is recorded in another way, e.g. as ‘three letter code of the issuing country of the travel document’. In other instances, a category of data is collected in one system but not in the other. For instance, ‘first names of parents of applicants’ are collected by ETIAS, but not in most of the other systems to be queried by ETIAS. Also at the time the ETIAS proposal 6 was adopted, the situation as regards the different EU information systems to be queried by ETIAS was different from today. At the time the ETIAS proposal was adopted, two other new EU information technology systems had been proposed to be set up: discussions were ongoing on the EES Regulation 7 while the Commission’s proposal on the European Criminal Records Information System – Third Country Nationals (‘ECRIS-TCN’) 8 was just about to be proposed. As regards existing information systems, the legal texts of the SIS were evolving due to the proposed revisions to the SIS legal framework in December 2016, finally adopted by co-legislators in November 2018 9 . The recast of the Eurodac Regulation 10 had also been proposed by the Commission as part of the reform of the Common European Asylum System, but had not yet been adopted by co-legislators 11 . The recast Eurodac Regulation still remains to be adopted by co-legislators today. Based on these considerations, the ETIAS Regulation stipulates, in its Article 11(2) that: “The amendments to the legal acts establishing the EU information systems that are necessary for establishing their interoperability with ETIAS as well as the addition of corresponding provisions in this Regulation shall be the subject of a separate legal instrument”. The present proposal therefore aims to set out the technical amendments necessary to fully set up the ETIAS system by amending the legal acts of the EU information technology systems ETIAS queries. The present proposal also sets out coresponding provisions and amends the ETIAS Regulation accordingly. First, the present initiative sets out amendments to the Regulation on ECRIS-TCN, on which recently, an ‘agreement in principle’ was found by the co-legislators. Thus, in line with the intention expressed by co-legislators in the ETIAS Regulation 12 it is now possible to include in ETIAS the necessary provisions on the relationship between ETIAS and ECRIS-TCN and to amend ECRIS-TCN accordingly. Secondly, the present initiative also aims to establish the relations between ETIAS and the SIS. The revised SIS legal framework has been adopted in November 2018. The present proposal includes consequential amendments resulting from the adoption of the new SIS Regulations. In line with the new SIS legal framework it is proposed to include the new alert category on inquiry checks 13 for the assessment of applications. It is not proposed to include the alert category on return decisions as such alerts are erased at the moment a return decision is implemented. This means that persons that apply for an ETIAS authorisation after having left the EU will – by definition – not have a return record in the SIS. Thirdly, the present initiative seeks to amend the EES Regulation to establish technically its relationship with ETIAS. Fourthly, the initiative also aims at amending the VIS Regulation in order to allow VIS to receive, process and answer ETIAS queries. Although in May 2018, the Commission presented a proposal to amend the VIS Regulation in order to upgrade that database, the present initiative puts forward amendments to the VIS Regulation currently in force, as the negotiations on the proposal for the upgraded VIS are not sufficiently advanced. However, if the proposal to amend the VIS Regulation were to be adopted first, it could become necessary to introduce some technical changes in the present proposal to align it with the amended version of the VIS Regulation. If the present proposal is adopted first, some technical changes could be required in the proposal amending the VIS Regulation before its adoption. In addition, following the adoption of both the EES Regulation and ETIAS Regulation, it is now required to align the way EES and ETIAS are working together on the way EES and VIS are integrated for the purpose of border control process and registration of border crossings in EES. This will rationalise and simplify the work of border guards through the implementation of a more uniform border control process for all third-country national entering for a short stay. The present initiative however does not include the amendments related to Eurodac, the EU asylum and irregular migration database, given that discussions have not yet been concluded on the May 2016 legislative proposal to strengthen Eurodac 14 . Furthermore, the data available in the current Eurodac are not sufficient for ETIAS purposes, given that the existing Eurodac only stores biometric data and a reference number, but no other personal data (e.g. name(s), age, date of birth) that would allow for contributing to the objectives of ETIAS. The May 2016 legislative proposal for a recast Eurodac Regulation seeks to extend the purpose of the database to the identification of illegally staying third-country nationals and those who have entered the EU irregularly. In particular, it provides for the storage of personal data such as the name(s), age, date of birth, nationality, and identity documents. These identity data are essential to ensure that Eurodac will be able to contribute to the objectives of ETIAS. Once the co-legislators reach political agreement on the recast Eurodac Regulation, the recast Eurodac Regulation will need to be supplemented with the necessary amendments to connect Eurodac to ETIAS. Additionally, once the co-legislators adopt the Commission’s legislative proposals 15 for the interoperability of information systems for security, border and migration management, and following political agreement on the proposal for a recast Eurodac Regulation, the Commission will apply the same approach with regards to the necessary amendments to make Eurodac part of the interoperability of information systems . Finally, in line with the April 2016 Communication on "Smarter Information Systems for borders and security", ETIAS is to be built based on a re-use of hardware and software components developed for the EES 16 . This is also the approach followed by the legislative proposals on the interoperability of information systems 17 . The technical development of the common identity repository and the European search portal as foreseen by the legislative proposals on the interoperability of information systems would be developed on the basis of the EES/ETIAS components. This proposal therefore presents amendments to the ETIAS Regulation to specify that the ETIAS Central System would build upon the EES Central System’s hardware and software components in order to establish a shared identity repository for the storage of the identity alphanumeric data of both ETIAS applicants and third-country nationals registered in EES. This shared identity repository would be the basis for the implementation of the common identity repository once the co-legislators adopt the legislative proposals on the interoperability of information systems. Moreover, during a transitional period, before the European search portal is available, the automated processing of ETIAS applications would rely on a tool, which would be used as the basis for the development and implementation of the European search portal. Due to the variable geometry in Member States' participation in EU policies in the area of freedom, security and justice, it is necessary to adopt two separate legal instruments which will nonetheless work seamlessly together to enable the comprehensive operation and use of the system. 
Revised version (Article 63 Amendments to Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006):
Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006 is amended as follows: Article 6 is replaced by the following: 
‘Article 6
National Systems
1. Each Member State shall be responsible for setting up, operating, maintaining and further developing its N.SIS II and connecting it to NI-SIS.
Each Member State shall be responsible for setting up, operating, maintaining and further developing its N.SIS II and connecting it to NI-SIS.
2. Each Member State shall be responsible for ensuring the uninterrupted availability of SIS II data to end-users.’;
Each Member State shall be responsible for ensuring the uninterrupted availability of SIS II data to end-users.’; Article 11 is replaced by the following: 
‘Article 11
Confidentiality – Member States
1. Each Member State shall apply its rules of professional secrecy or other equivalent duties of confidentiality to all persons and bodies required to work with SIS II data and supplementary information, in accordance with its national legislation. This obligation shall also apply after those people leave office or employment or after the termination of the activities of those bodies.
Each Member State shall apply its rules of professional secrecy or other equivalent duties of confidentiality to all persons and bodies required to work with SIS II data and supplementary information, in accordance with its national legislation. This obligation shall also apply after those people leave office or employment or after the termination of the activities of those bodies.
2. Where a Member State cooperates with external contractors in any SIS II-related tasks, it shall closely monitor the activities of the contractor to ensure compliance with all provisions of this Regulation, in particular on security, confidentiality and data protection.
Where a Member State cooperates with external contractors in any SIS II-related tasks, it shall closely monitor the activities of the contractor to ensure compliance with all provisions of this Regulation, in particular on security, confidentiality and data protection.
3. The operational management of N.SIS II or of any technical copies shall not be entrusted to private companies or private organisations.’;
The operational management of N.SIS II or of any technical copies shall not be entrusted to private companies or private organisations.’; Article 15 is amended as follows: (a) the following paragraph is inserted: ‘3a. The Management Authority shall develop and maintain a mechanism and procedures for carrying out quality checks on the data in CS-SIS. It shall provide regular reports to the Member States in this regard. The Management Authority shall provide a regular report to the Commission covering the issues encountered and the Member States concerned. The Commission shall provide the European Parliament and the Council with a regular report on data quality issues that are encountered.’; (b) paragraph 8 is replaced by the following: ‘8. The operational management of Central SIS II shall consist of all the tasks necessary to keep Central SIS II functioning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in accordance with this Regulation, in particular the maintenance work and technical developments necessary for the smooth running of the system. Those tasks shall also include the coordination, management and support of testing activities for Central SIS II and the N.SIS II that ensure that Central SIS II and the N.SIS II operate in accordance with the requirements for technical compliance set out in Article 9.’; Article 15 is amended as follows: (a) the following paragraph is inserted: ‘3a. The Management Authority shall develop and maintain a mechanism and procedures for carrying out quality checks on the data in CS-SIS. It shall provide regular reports to the Member States in this regard. The Management Authority shall provide a regular report to the Commission covering the issues encountered and the Member States concerned. The Commission shall provide the European Parliament and the Council with a regular report on data quality issues that are encountered.’; the following paragraph is inserted: ‘3a. The Management Authority shall develop and maintain a mechanism and procedures for carrying out quality checks on the data in CS-SIS. It shall provide regular reports to the Member States in this regard. The Management Authority shall provide a regular report to the Commission covering the issues encountered and the Member States concerned. The Commission shall provide the European Parliament and the Council with a regular report on data quality issues that are encountered.’; paragraph 8 is replaced by the following: ‘8. The operational management of Central SIS II shall consist of all the tasks necessary to keep Central SIS II functioning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in accordance with this Regulation, in particular the maintenance work and technical developments necessary for the smooth running of the system. Those tasks shall also include the coordination, management and support of testing activities for Central SIS II and the N.SIS II that ensure that Central SIS II and the N.SIS II operate in accordance with the requirements for technical compliance set out in Article 9.’; (4) in Article 17, the following paragraphs are added: ‘3. Where the Management Authority cooperates with external contractors in any SIS II-related tasks, it shall closely monitor the activities of the contractor to ensure compliance with all provisions of this Regulation, in particular on security, confidentiality and data protection. 4. The operational management of CS-SIS shall not be entrusted to private companies or private organisations.’; in Article 17, the following paragraphs are added: ‘3. Where the Management Authority cooperates with external contractors in any SIS II-related tasks, it shall closely monitor the activities of the contractor to ensure compliance with all provisions of this Regulation, in particular on security, confidentiality and data protection. 4. The operational management of CS-SIS shall not be entrusted to private companies or private organisations.’; in Article 20(2), the following point is inserted: ‘(ka) the type of offence;’; in Article 21, the following paragraph is added: ‘Where the decision to refuse entry and stay referred to in Article 24(2) is related to a terrorist offence, the case shall be considered adequate, relevant and important enough to warrant an alert in SIS II. For public or national security reasons, Member States may exceptionally refrain from entering an alert when it is likely to obstruct official or legal inquiries, investigations or procedures.’; Article 22 is replaced by the following: 
‘Article 22
Specific rules for entering, verification or search with photographs and fingerprints
1. Photographs and fingerprints shall only be entered following a special quality check to ascertain whether they fulfil minimum data quality standards. The specification of the special quality check shall be established in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 51(2).
Photographs and fingerprints shall only be entered following a special quality check to ascertain whether they fulfil minimum data quality standards. The specification of the special quality check shall be established in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 51(2).
2. Where photographs and fingerprint data are available in an alert in SIS II, such photographs and fingerprint data shall be used to confirm the identity of a person who has been located as a result of an alphanumeric search made in SIS II.
Where photographs and fingerprint data are available in an alert in SIS II, such photographs and fingerprint data shall be used to confirm the identity of a person who has been located as a result of an alphanumeric search made in SIS II.
3. Fingerprint data may be searched in all cases to identify a person. However, fingerprint data shall be searched to identify a person where the identity of the person cannot be ascertained by other means. For that purpose, the Central SIS II shall contain an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
Fingerprint data may be searched in all cases to identify a person. However, fingerprint data shall be searched to identify a person where the identity of the person cannot be ascertained by other means. For that purpose, the Central SIS II shall contain an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
4. Fingerprint data in SIS II in relation to alerts entered in accordance with Articles 24 and 26 may also be searched using complete or incomplete sets of fingerprints discovered at the scenes of serious crimes or terrorist offences under investigation, where it can be established to a high degree of probability that those sets of prints belong to a perpetrator of the offence and provided that the search is carried out simultaneously in the Member State's relevant national fingerprints databases.’;
Fingerprint data in SIS II in relation to alerts entered in accordance with Articles 24 and 26 may also be searched using complete or incomplete sets of fingerprints discovered at the scenes of serious crimes or terrorist offences under investigation, where it can be established to a high degree of probability that those sets of prints belong to a perpetrator of the offence and provided that the search is carried out simultaneously in the Member State's relevant national fingerprints databases.’; Article 26 is replaced by the following: 
‘Article 26
Conditions for entering alerts on third-country nationals subject to restrictive measures
1. Alerts on third-country nationals who are the subject of a restrictive measure intended to prevent entry into or transit through the territory of Member States taken in accordance with legal acts adopted by the Council, including measures implementing a travel ban issued by the Security Council of the United Nations, shall, insofar as data-quality requirements are satisfied, be entered into SIS II for the purpose of refusing entry and stay.
Alerts on third-country nationals who are the subject of a restrictive measure intended to prevent entry into or transit through the territory of Member States taken in accordance with legal acts adopted by the Council, including measures implementing a travel ban issued by the Security Council of the United Nations, shall, insofar as data-quality requirements are satisfied, be entered into SIS II for the purpose of refusing entry and stay.
2. The alerts shall be entered, kept up-to-date and deleted by the competent authority of the Member State which holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the time of the adoption of the measure. If that Member State does not have access to SIS II or to alerts entered in accordance with this Regulation, the responsibility shall be taken up by the Member State which holds the subsequent Presidency and which has access to SIS II, including to alerts entered in accordance with this Regulation.
The alerts shall be entered, kept up-to-date and deleted by the competent authority of the Member State which holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the time of the adoption of the measure. If that Member State does not have access to SIS II or to alerts entered in accordance with this Regulation, the responsibility shall be taken up by the Member State which holds the subsequent Presidency and which has access to SIS II, including to alerts entered in accordance with this Regulation.
Member States shall put in place the necessary procedures for entering, updating and deleting such alerts.’; the following Articles are inserted: 
‘Article 27a
Access to data in SIS II by Europol
1. The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), established by Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *1 ), shall, where necessary to fulfil its mandate, have the right to access and search data in SIS II. Europol may also exchange and further request supplementary information in accordance with the provisions of the SIRENE Manual.
The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), established by Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *1 ), shall, where necessary to fulfil its mandate, have the right to access and search data in SIS II. Europol may also exchange and further request supplementary information in accordance with the provisions of the SIRENE Manual.
2. Where a search by Europol reveals the existence of an alert in SIS II, Europol shall inform the issuing Member State through the exchange of supplementary information by means of the Communication Infrastructure and in accordance with the provisions set out in the SIRENE Manual. Until Europol is able to use the functionalities intended for the exchange of supplementary information, it shall inform issuing Member States through the channels defined by Regulation (EU) 2016/794.
Where a search by Europol reveals the existence of an alert in SIS II, Europol shall inform the issuing Member State through the exchange of supplementary information by means of the Communication Infrastructure and in accordance with the provisions set out in the SIRENE Manual. Until Europol is able to use the functionalities intended for the exchange of supplementary information, it shall inform issuing Member States through the channels defined by Regulation (EU) 2016/794.
3. Europol may process the supplementary information that has been provided to it by Member States for the purposes of comparing it with its databases and operational analysis projects, aimed at identifying connections or other relevant links and for the strategic, thematic or operational analyses referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of Article 18(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/794. Any processing by Europol of supplementary information for the purpose of this Article shall be carried out in accordance with that Regulation.
Europol may process the supplementary information that has been provided to it by Member States for the purposes of comparing it with its databases and operational analysis projects, aimed at identifying connections or other relevant links and for the strategic, thematic or operational analyses referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of Article 18(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/794. Any processing by Europol of supplementary information for the purpose of this Article shall be carried out in accordance with that Regulation.
4. Europol's use of information obtained from a search in SIS II or from the processing of supplementary information shall be subject to the consent of the issuing Member State. If the Member State allows the use of such information, its handling by Europol shall be governed by Regulation (EU) 2016/794. Europol shall only communicate such information to third countries and third bodies with the consent of the issuing Member State and in full compliance with Union law on data protection.
Europol's use of information obtained from a search in SIS II or from the processing of supplementary information shall be subject to the consent of the issuing Member State. If the Member State allows the use of such information, its handling by Europol shall be governed by Regulation (EU) 2016/794. Europol shall only communicate such information to third countries and third bodies with the consent of the issuing Member State and in full compliance with Union law on data protection.
5. Europol shall: (a) without prejudice to paragraphs 4 and 6, not connect parts of SIS II nor transfer the data contained in it to which it has access to any system for data collection and processing operated by or at Europol, nor download or otherwise copy any part of SIS II; (b) notwithstanding Article 31(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/794, delete supplementary information containing personal data at the latest one year after the related alert has been deleted. By way of derogation, where Europol has information in its databases or operational analysis projects on a case to which the supplementary information is related, in order for Europol to perform its tasks, Europol may exceptionally continue to store the supplementary information when necessary. Europol shall inform the issuing and the executing Member State of the continued storage of such supplementary information and present a justification for it; (c) limit access to data in SIS II, including supplementary information, to specifically authorised staff of Europol who require access to such data for the performance of their tasks; (d) adopt and apply measures to ensure security, confidentiality and self-monitoring in accordance with Articles 10, 11 and 13; (e) ensure that its staff who are authorised to process SIS II data receive appropriate training and information in accordance with Article 14; and (f) without prejudice to Regulation (EU) 2016/794, allow the European Data Protection Supervisor to monitor and review the activities of Europol in the exercise of its right to access and search data in SIS II and in the exchange and processing of supplementary information.
Europol shall: (a) without prejudice to paragraphs 4 and 6, not connect parts of SIS II nor transfer the data contained in it to which it has access to any system for data collection and processing operated by or at Europol, nor download or otherwise copy any part of SIS II; (b) notwithstanding Article 31(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/794, delete supplementary information containing personal data at the latest one year after the related alert has been deleted. By way of derogation, where Europol has information in its databases or operational analysis projects on a case to which the supplementary information is related, in order for Europol to perform its tasks, Europol may exceptionally continue to store the supplementary information when necessary. Europol shall inform the issuing and the executing Member State of the continued storage of such supplementary information and present a justification for it; (c) limit access to data in SIS II, including supplementary information, to specifically authorised staff of Europol who require access to such data for the performance of their tasks; (d) adopt and apply measures to ensure security, confidentiality and self-monitoring in accordance with Articles 10, 11 and 13; (e) ensure that its staff who are authorised to process SIS II data receive appropriate training and information in accordance with Article 14; and (f) without prejudice to Regulation (EU) 2016/794, allow the European Data Protection Supervisor to monitor and review the activities of Europol in the exercise of its right to access and search data in SIS II and in the exchange and processing of supplementary information.
Europol shall:
(a) without prejudice to paragraphs 4 and 6, not connect parts of SIS II nor transfer the data contained in it to which it has access to any system for data collection and processing operated by or at Europol, nor download or otherwise copy any part of SIS II;
(a)
without prejudice to paragraphs 4 and 6, not connect parts of SIS II nor transfer the data contained in it to which it has access to any system for data collection and processing operated by or at Europol, nor download or otherwise copy any part of SIS II;
without prejudice to paragraphs 4 and 6, not connect parts of SIS II nor transfer the data contained in it to which it has access to any system for data collection and processing operated by or at Europol, nor download or otherwise copy any part of SIS II;
(b) notwithstanding Article 31(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/794, delete supplementary information containing personal data at the latest one year after the related alert has been deleted. By way of derogation, where Europol has information in its databases or operational analysis projects on a case to which the supplementary information is related, in order for Europol to perform its tasks, Europol may exceptionally continue to store the supplementary information when necessary. Europol shall inform the issuing and the executing Member State of the continued storage of such supplementary information and present a justification for it;
(b)
notwithstanding Article 31(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/794, delete supplementary information containing personal data at the latest one year after the related alert has been deleted. By way of derogation, where Europol has information in its databases or operational analysis projects on a case to which the supplementary information is related, in order for Europol to perform its tasks, Europol may exceptionally continue to store the supplementary information when necessary. Europol shall inform the issuing and the executing Member State of the continued storage of such supplementary information and present a justification for it;
notwithstanding Article 31(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/794, delete supplementary information containing personal data at the latest one year after the related alert has been deleted. By way of derogation, where Europol has information in its databases or operational analysis projects on a case to which the supplementary information is related, in order for Europol to perform its tasks, Europol may exceptionally continue to store the supplementary information when necessary. Europol shall inform the issuing and the executing Member State of the continued storage of such supplementary information and present a justification for it;
(c) limit access to data in SIS II, including supplementary information, to specifically authorised staff of Europol who require access to such data for the performance of their tasks;
(c)
limit access to data in SIS II, including supplementary information, to specifically authorised staff of Europol who require access to such data for the performance of their tasks;
limit access to data in SIS II, including supplementary information, to specifically authorised staff of Europol who require access to such data for the performance of their tasks;
(d) adopt and apply measures to ensure security, confidentiality and self-monitoring in accordance with Articles 10, 11 and 13;
(d)
adopt and apply measures to ensure security, confidentiality and self-monitoring in accordance with Articles 10, 11 and 13;
adopt and apply measures to ensure security, confidentiality and self-monitoring in accordance with Articles 10, 11 and 13;
(e) ensure that its staff who are authorised to process SIS II data receive appropriate training and information in accordance with Article 14; and
(e)
ensure that its staff who are authorised to process SIS II data receive appropriate training and information in accordance with Article 14; and
ensure that its staff who are authorised to process SIS II data receive appropriate training and information in accordance with Article 14; and
(f) without prejudice to Regulation (EU) 2016/794, allow the European Data Protection Supervisor to monitor and review the activities of Europol in the exercise of its right to access and search data in SIS II and in the exchange and processing of supplementary information.
(f)
without prejudice to Regulation (EU) 2016/794, allow the European Data Protection Supervisor to monitor and review the activities of Europol in the exercise of its right to access and search data in SIS II and in the exchange and processing of supplementary information.
without prejudice to Regulation (EU) 2016/794, allow the European Data Protection Supervisor to monitor and review the activities of Europol in the exercise of its right to access and search data in SIS II and in the exchange and processing of supplementary information.
6. Europol shall only copy data from SIS II for technical purposes where such copying is necessary in order for duly authorised Europol staff to carry out a direct search. This Regulation shall apply to such copies. The technical copy shall only be used for the purpose of storing SIS II data whilst those data are searched. Once the data have been searched they shall be deleted. Such uses shall not be considered to be unlawful downloading or copying of SIS II data. Europol shall not copy alert data or additional data issued by Member States or from CS-SIS II into other Europol systems.
Europol shall only copy data from SIS II for technical purposes where such copying is necessary in order for duly authorised Europol staff to carry out a direct search. This Regulation shall apply to such copies. The technical copy shall only be used for the purpose of storing SIS II data whilst those data are searched. Once the data have been searched they shall be deleted. Such uses shall not be considered to be unlawful downloading or copying of SIS II data. Europol shall not copy alert data or additional data issued by Member States or from CS-SIS II into other Europol systems.
7. For the purpose of verifying the lawfulness of data processing, self-monitoring and ensuring proper data security and integrity, Europol shall keep logs of every access to and search in SIS II in accordance with the provisions of Article 12. Such logs and documentation shall not be considered to be unlawful downloading or copying of part of SIS II.
For the purpose of verifying the lawfulness of data processing, self-monitoring and ensuring proper data security and integrity, Europol shall keep logs of every access to and search in SIS II in accordance with the provisions of Article 12. Such logs and documentation shall not be considered to be unlawful downloading or copying of part of SIS II.
8. Member States shall inform Europol through the exchange of supplementary information of any hit on alerts related to terrorist offences. Member States may exceptionally not inform Europol if doing so would jeopardise current investigations, the safety of an individual or be contrary to essential interests of the security of the issuing Member State.
Member States shall inform Europol through the exchange of supplementary information of any hit on alerts related to terrorist offences. Member States may exceptionally not inform Europol if doing so would jeopardise current investigations, the safety of an individual or be contrary to essential interests of the security of the issuing Member State.
9. Paragraph 8 shall apply from the date that Europol is able to receive supplementary information in accordance with paragraph 1.
Paragraph 8 shall apply from the date that Europol is able to receive supplementary information in accordance with paragraph 1. 
‘Article 27b
Access to data in SIS II by the European Border and Coast Guard teams, teams of staff involved in return-related tasks, and members of the migration management support teams
1. In accordance with Article 40(8) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *2 ), the members of the teams referred to in points (8) and (9) of Article 2 of that Regulation shall, within their mandate and provided that they are authorised to carry out checks in accordance with Article 27(1) of this Regulation and have received the required training in accordance with Article 14 of this Regulation, have the right to access and search data in SIS II insofar it is necessary for the performance of their task and as required by the operational plan for a specific operation. Access to data in SIS II shall not be extended to any other team members.
In accordance with Article 40(8) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *2 ), the members of the teams referred to in points (8) and (9) of Article 2 of that Regulation shall, within their mandate and provided that they are authorised to carry out checks in accordance with Article 27(1) of this Regulation and have received the required training in accordance with Article 14 of this Regulation, have the right to access and search data in SIS II insofar it is necessary for the performance of their task and as required by the operational plan for a specific operation. Access to data in SIS II shall not be extended to any other team members.
2. Members of the teams referred to in paragraph 1 shall exercise the right to access and search data in SIS II in accordance with paragraph 1 through a technical interface. The technical interface shall be set up and maintained by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and shall allow direct connection to Central SIS II.
Members of the teams referred to in paragraph 1 shall exercise the right to access and search data in SIS II in accordance with paragraph 1 through a technical interface. The technical interface shall be set up and maintained by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and shall allow direct connection to Central SIS II.
3. Where a search by a member of the teams referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article reveals the existence of an alert in SIS II, the issuing Member State shall be informed thereof. In accordance with Article 40 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1624, members of the teams shall only act in response to an alert in SIS II under instructions from and, as a general rule, in the presence of border guards or staff involved in return-related tasks of the host Member State in which they are operating. The host Member State may authorise members of the teams to act on its behalf.
Where a search by a member of the teams referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article reveals the existence of an alert in SIS II, the issuing Member State shall be informed thereof. In accordance with Article 40 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1624, members of the teams shall only act in response to an alert in SIS II under instructions from and, as a general rule, in the presence of border guards or staff involved in return-related tasks of the host Member State in which they are operating. The host Member State may authorise members of the teams to act on its behalf.
4. For the purpose of verifying the lawfulness of data processing, self-monitoring and ensuring proper data security and integrity, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency shall keep logs of every access to and search in SIS II in accordance with the provisions of Article 12.
For the purpose of verifying the lawfulness of data processing, self-monitoring and ensuring proper data security and integrity, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency shall keep logs of every access to and search in SIS II in accordance with the provisions of Article 12.
5. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency shall adopt and apply measures to ensure security, confidentiality and self-monitoring in accordance with Articles 10, 11 and 13 and shall ensure that the teams referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article apply those measures.
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency shall adopt and apply measures to ensure security, confidentiality and self-monitoring in accordance with Articles 10, 11 and 13 and shall ensure that the teams referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article apply those measures.
6. Nothing in this Article shall be interpreted as affecting the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 concerning data protection or the European Border and Coast Guard Agency's liability for any unauthorised or incorrect processing of data by it.
Nothing in this Article shall be interpreted as affecting the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 concerning data protection or the European Border and Coast Guard Agency's liability for any unauthorised or incorrect processing of data by it.
7. Without prejudice to paragraph 2, no parts of SIS II shall be connected to any system for data collection and processing operated by the teams referred to in paragraph 1 or by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, nor shall the data in SIS II to which those teams have access be transferred to such a system. No part of SIS II shall be downloaded or copied. The logging of access and searches shall not be considered to be unlawful downloading or copying of SIS II data.
Without prejudice to paragraph 2, no parts of SIS II shall be connected to any system for data collection and processing operated by the teams referred to in paragraph 1 or by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, nor shall the data in SIS II to which those teams have access be transferred to such a system. No part of SIS II shall be downloaded or copied. The logging of access and searches shall not be considered to be unlawful downloading or copying of SIS II data.
8. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency shall allow the European Data Protection Supervisor to monitor and review the activities of the teams referred to in this Article in the exercise of their right to access and search data in SIS II. This shall be without prejudice to the further provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *3 ).
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency shall allow the European Data Protection Supervisor to monitor and review the activities of the teams referred to in this Article in the exercise of their right to access and search data in SIS II. This shall be without prejudice to the further provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *3 ).
Article 65 Repeal
Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006 is repealed from the date of application of this Regulation as set out in the first subparagraph of Article 66(5). References to the repealed Regulation shall be construed as references to this Regulation and shall be read in accordance with the correlation table in the Annex.
Article 66 Entry into force, start of operation and application
1. This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union . 2. No later than 28 December 2021, the Commission shall adopt a decision setting the date on which SIS operations start pursuant to this Regulation, after verification that the following conditions have been met: (a) the implementing acts necessary for the application of this Regulation have been adopted; (b) Member States have notified the Commission that they have made the necessary technical and legal arrangements to process SIS data and exchange supplementary information pursuant to this Regulation; and (c) eu-LISA has notified the Commission of the successful completion of all testing activities with regard to CS-SIS and to the interaction between CS-SIS and N.SIS. 3. The Commission shall closely monitor the process of gradual fulfilment of the conditions set out in paragraph 2 and shall inform the European Parliament and the Council about the outcome of the verification referred to in that paragraph. 4. By 28 December 2019 and every year thereafter until the decision of the Commission referred to in paragraph 2 has been taken, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the state of play of preparations for the full implementation of this Regulation. That report shall contain also detailed information about the costs incurred and information as to any risks which may impact the overall costs. 5. This Regulation shall apply from the date determined in accordance with paragraph 2.