May242018

eu-LISA: agreement between the Council Presidency and the European Parliament

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Verónica Huertas Cerdeira
Press officer (Home affairs)
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On 24 May 2018, the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council and the European Parliament reached an informal agreement on a draft regulation on the European agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (eu-LISA).

The EU has been working to improve migration management as well as its capacity to detect those who may pose a security risk to the EU through the update and creation of several information sharing databases. Strengthening the mandate of EU LISA, the agency managing these systems, will help them improve their operation and make the best use of the tools available

Valentin Radev, Bulgarian minister of interior

This regulation will further develop the agency’s capacity to contribute to border management, law-enforcement cooperation and migration management in the EU. The agency will also have a vital role in implementing new IT architecture in the area of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA).

The draft regulation will strengthen the mandate of eu-LISA and will entrust the agency with:

  • developing and operating new systems, such as the recently adopted entry-exit system and the European travel information and authorisation system (ETIAS)
  • contributing to the development of technical solutions to achieve interoperability, subject to a legislative instrument on interoperability currently under discussion
  • providing support to member states at their request, for example ad-hoc support to deal with migratory challenges, and assistance for creating common solutions for the implementation of their obligations stemming from EU legislation on decentralized systems in the area of JHA
  • a greater role in research, pilot projects and testing activities

Next steps

The informal agreement will now be presented to EU ambassadors for confirmation on behalf of the Council. Following this, the regulation will be submitted to the European Parliament for a vote at first reading, and subsequently to the Council for adoption.

Background

eu-LISA was established in 2011 and currently manages systems including the visa information system (VIS) and the Schengen information system (SIS) and EURODAC.

Following an evaluation of the agency, as well as recent developments in the fields of migration and security, the European Commission presented on 29 June 2017 a proposal for a new legal mandate for eu-LISA so that it can better meet current and future challenges in the area of freedom security and justice.