Research with a view to extending the Prüm Decisions to cover facial recognition

13.9.2019

Question for written answer E-002775-19
to the Commission
Rule 138
Cornelia Ernst (GUE/NGL)

In the context of the EU Prüm Decisions, the Commission is providing half a million euro in funding for research into a European facial recognition system. Under the direction of the Estonian Ministry of Justice, police forensic departments in Finland, Latvia, Sweden and the Netherlands are examining potential techniques under the TELEFI project (‘Towards the European Level Exchange of Facial Images’). Running for only 18 months, the project is comparatively short. Results are expected already in the summer of next year.

What are the costs of the TELEFI project as a whole, and to what extent are they borne by the participants and the European Commission respectively?

What biometric categories of data to be collected under the Prüm Decisions will be examined under TELEFI (if, in addition to facial images, language recordings are also to be examined under TELEFI, please explain the aim and purpose)?

Which technology for facial recognition will be studied under the TELEFI project and to what extent should it also be possible to use not only photographs from police databases for comparison, but also still images from public video surveillance (CCTV), police body cams or real-time cameras in police vehicles?