EUR-Lex Access to European Union law
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Information exchange between law enforcement authorities of Member States
Information exchange between law enforcement authorities of Member States
Information exchange between law enforcement authorities of Member States
It sets out European Union (EU) organisational and procedural rules to ensure an adequate and efficient exchange of information between the law enforcement authorities of EU Member States to prevent, detect or investigate criminal offences.
Scope
The directive lays out rules on:
The directive does not apply to such exchanges of information if they are specifically regulated by other EU laws.
Principles
All exchanges of information under the directive are subject to five principles which should be used when interpreting and applying it:
Directive (EU) 2016/680 sets out the EU rules on protecting personal data used by police and criminal justice authorities (summary).
Exchange of information
Secure Information Exchange Network Application
The Secure Information Exchange Network Application, managed by Europol, should be used by SPOC or Member State law enforcement authorities to send requests for information, to provide information pursuant to such requests or to provide information on their own initiative.
The directive has to be transposed into national law by 12 December 2024, and Member States must apply its provisions from that date. There is one exception, however: Member States must bring into force the rules necessary to comply with Article 13 by 12 June 2027.
For further information, see:
Directive (EU) 2023/977 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on the exchange of information between the law enforcement authorities of Member States and repealing Council Framework Decision 2006/960/JHA (OJ L 134, 22.5.2023, pp. 1–24).
Council Recommendation (EU) 2022/915 of 9 June 2022 on operational law enforcement cooperation (OJ L 158, 13.6.2022, pp. 53–64).
Regulation (EU) 2021/1149 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing the Internal Security Fund (OJ L 251, 15.7.2021, pp. 94–131).
Regulation (EU) 2019/818 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2019 on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems in the field of police and judicial cooperation, asylum and migration and amending Regulations (EU) 2018/1726, (EU) 2018/1862 and (EU) 2019/816 (OJ L 135, 22.5.2019, pp. 85–135).
Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) 2019/818 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and replacing and repealing Council Decisions 2009/371/JHA, 2009/934/JHA, 2009/935/JHA, 2009/936/JHA and 2009/968/JHA (OJ L 135, 24.5.2016, pp. 53–114).
See consolidated version.
Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties, and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Council Framework Decision 2008/977/JHA (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, pp. 89–131).
See consolidated version.
Council Framework Decision 2006/960/JHA of 18 December 2006 on simplifying the exchange of information and intelligence between law enforcement authorities of the Member States of the European Union (OJ L 386, 29.12.2006, pp. 89–100).
See consolidated version.
last update 20.10.2023