EU review of information sharing systems

"EU citizens have the right to know what personal data are kept about them. This provides a good overview of the different instruments we have in Europe. At the same time, it is an opportunity to establish a set of principles for how our policy should develop in this area", said Cecilia Malmström.

To present this overview was one of the first decisions Cecilia Malmström made as newly appointed EU Commissioner for Home Affairs earlier this spring. This has also been called for by the European Parliament. The overview covers several areas, such as the data needed within the Schengen cooperation, visa issues, the EU asylum and migration policy and the fight against organised crime and terrorism.

"I will now review each one of these instruments, by their own as well as in relation to the bigger picture, and evaluate them against the principles we have set out. Among other things, I want to ensure that all of these instruments are proportionate, that they respect the fundamental rights, and I also want to investigate the possibilities to introduce so called sunset clauses, which means that legislation automatically ends after a certain number of years", said Cecilia Malmström.

Today, Cecilia Malmström also presented a stocktaking of the EU's work to fight terrorism in order to outline the instruments already in place, what has been achieved, and in which areas further action is needed.

Read more on the two reviews via the links below.