Answer given by Mr Avramopoulos on behalf of the Commission
12.8.2016
The Schengen Information System (SIS) permits storing photographs of persons and objects attached to an alert. The Visa Information System (VIS) stores a mandatory facial image for every visa application. The current Eurodac (Identification of applicants) system however, does not permit storage of facial images. However, the Commission's recent proposal for Eurodac recast[1] foresees the biometric matching of facial images. The photographs and facial images stored in SIS and VIS are not considered to be of a biometric nature as they are not used for automated matching.
The Member States are responsible for the quality of the data entered and processed in the abovementioned systems in accordance with the data quality standards that are in force. The Commission does not have access to these systems and therefore cannot indicate the amount and level of quality of the facial images stored therein. Therefore, the Commission is also unable to assess the quality distribution of these images to indicate a possible matching accuracy.
The SIS, VIS and Eurodac do not use any facial recognition software. The proposal for a regulation establishing an Entry Exit System[2] is still subject to adoption by the European Parliament and the Council. This proposal foresees to use of facial recognition software in combination with fingerprint recognition software to enable multi-modal biometric matching. The procurement procedure for this software can be launched only after the adoption of the proposal.
The Commission is not informed about contacts between the manufacturers of ‘FindFace image recognition software’ project and private companies.
- [1] COM(2016)0272 — Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of ‘Eurodac’ for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of [Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or a stateless person] , for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes (recast).
- [2] COM(2016)0194 — Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an Entry/Exit System (EES) to register entry and exit data and refusal of entry data of third-country nationals crossing the external borders of the Member States of the European Union and determining the conditions for access to the EES for law enforcement purposes and amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008 and Regulation (EU) No 1077/2011.