Commissie stelt voor agentschap op te richten voor beheer IT-systemen van Europese programma's (en)

IP/09/991

Brussels, 24 June 2009

The setting up of an Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems proposed by the Commission

Following the request of the Council and the European Parliament, the Commission adopted today a legislative package proposing the setting up of an Agency for the long-term operational management of the Schengen Information System (SIS II), Visa Information System (VIS), EURODAC and other large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice.

Vice President Barrot, Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, said: "The legislative proposals adopted today aim to simplify the current situation by establishing a single management structure for several large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice. The establishment of a dedicated Agency for the operational management of these systems will allow their effective and secure operation, assuring quality of service for users, continuity and uninterrupted service. The gradual building up of expertise will allow the Agency to become a centre of excellence for the development and operational management of future large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice".

The legislative package adopted by the Commission is composed of a Regulation establishing the Agency, a Decision and a horizontal Communication providing a quick overview of the legislative proposals.

The core mission of the Agency would be to fulfil the operational management tasks for SIS II, VIS and EURODAC, keeping the systems functioning 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to these operational activities, the Agency will also be responsible for adopting the necessary security measures, reporting, publishing statistics, monitoring of research, SIS II and VIS related training and information issues. It will ensure data security and integrity as well as compliance with data protection rules.

A dedicated, specialised Agency will be able to achieve important synergies and economies of scale as all three existing IT systems will be housed in one location, under common management. As a centre of excellence, the Agency will have the potential to be entrusted with the development of new IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice.

The Agency will be set up in the form of a Regulatory Agency, an independent European body. The Commission and the participating States will be represented on the Management Board, which will be the Agency's governing body. The Agency will be assisted by advisory groups composed of national experts.

The Agency should become operational as of 2012 and be in a position to take over tasks related to the operational management of SIS II, VIS and EURODAC.

To find out more about Vice President Barrot's work please visit his website:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/barrot/welcome/default_en.htm

MEMO/09/290

Brussels, 24 June 2009

The setting up of an Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems proposed by the Commission

The objective of this legislative package, approved by the Commission, is to establish a Regulatory Agency responsible for the long-term operational management of the second-generation Schengen Information System (SIS II), Visa Information System (VIS) and EURODAC, which will gradually build up expertise with a view to becoming a centre of excellence for IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice.

Background

There are currently three large-scale information technology (IT) systems in the area of freedom, security and justice whose operational management has been entrusted to the Commission.

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  The second-generation Schengen Information System (SIS) II will replace the existing Schengen Information System (SIS 1+). SIS II will facilitate the exchange of information on persons and objects between national authorities responsible, inter alia, for border controls and other customs and police checks. SIS II will therefore compensate for the abolition of internal border controls and enable the free movement of persons within the Schengen area. SIS II will benefit from developments in the field of IT and allow the introduction of new functionalities, such as the possibility to include biometric data. There are 1 636 designated posts of entry to the Union. The removal of controls at internal borders in the Schengen area allows more than 400 million citizens of 25 countries to travel without border control.
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  The Visa Information System (VIS) will be the IT-based instrument for supporting the implementation of the common visa policy and facilitating effective border control, by enabling authorised national authorities to enter and update visa data, including biometric data, and to consult these data electronically. In 2008, there were 20 million visa requests a year. It is expected that 3 000 consular posts world-wide will be adequately equipped to issue biometric visas. The VIS will have 12 000 users world-wide.
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  EURODAC is an IT system for comparing the fingerprints of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, in order to facilitate the application of the Dublin II Regulation, which makes it possible to determine the Member State responsible for examining an asylum application. In 2008 nearly 240 000 asylum applications were made in the EU.

SIS II and VIS are being developed by the Commission. The Commission is also entrusted with their operational management during a transitional period. Initially, the Commission intends to entrust the task of managing these systems to national public sector bodies in two different Member States, namely France and Austria. Regarding EURODAC, the Commission has developed the system and is currently responsible for operating the Central Unit and ensuring the security of data transmission.

Up to now, these three systems have been developed independently and certain arrangements for their future management have also been made separately. This situation does not allow the full exploitation of the synergies between these systems and results in higher costs, less efficiency and overlaps. Moreover, even though the Commission is responsible for the tools necessary for the implementation of Community legislation, it is not the Commission’s core task to operate large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice. There is a need to establish a "Management Authority" in the long term, mainly to ensure the operational management of these critical IT systems and the continuous flow of data between national authorities.

In joint statements accompanying the SIS II and VIS legal instruments, the Council and the European Parliament invited the Commission to present, following an impact assessment, the necessary legislative proposals entrusting an Agency with the long-term operational management of the Central SIS II and parts of the Communication Infrastructure as well as the VIS.

Following an impact assessment carried out to study the different options for performing the tasks of the "Management Authority" for SIS II, VIS and EURODAC in the long term, a new Regulatory Agency was found to be the best solution. Consequently, the Commission adopted a legislative package consisting of a Regulation establishing the Agency, a Decision and a horizontal Communication providing a quick overview of the legislative proposals.

Overview of the Agency and its tasks

The Agency will be set up in the form of a Regulatory Agency, an independent European body.

The core mission of the Agency would be to fulfil the operational management tasks for SIS II, VIS and EURODAC, keeping the systems functioning 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thus ensuring the uninterrupted exchange of data. In addition to these operational activities, the Agency will also be responsible for adopting the necessary security measures, reporting, and publishing statistics. Furthermore, the Agency shall perform tasks related to the training of experts on VIS and SIS II. The Agency will be in charge of the monitoring of research activities and, upon request of the Commission, the implementation of pilot schemes. When performing its tasks, the Agency will ensure data security and integrity as well as compliance with data protection rules.

The main body governing the Agency will be a Management Board with an adequate representation of the Member States and the Commission. The representation of Member States will reflect Member State's Treaty rights and obligations. The countries associated with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis and the EURODAC related measures will also participate in the Agency. The Agency will be assisted by advisory groups composed of national experts.

The potential of a dedicated Agency operating other systems in the area of freedom, security and justice

A dedicated, specialised Agency will be able to achieve important synergies and economies of scale as all three existing IT systems will be housed in one location, under common management. After the necessary start-up phase, a specialised Agency would be able to gradually build expertise and know-how in large-scale IT systems and has the potential to become a centre of excellence for IT management of systems. Therefore, the Agency can potentially be made responsible for preparing, developing and managing other large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice. This would be subject to legislative instruments establishing such systems that, in turn, would provide the Agency with the respective competences.

Thus, the creation of a dedicated Agency is to be seen not only as a tailor-made solution for the operational management of EURODAC, SIS II and VIS but also a viable long-term solution for the development and management of other IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice.

Financial implications

The estimated total costs related to the preparatory and start-up phase of the Agency for the long-term operational management of SIS II, VIS and EURODAC between 2010 and 2013 amount to €113 million. This amount is covered by the financial framework for 2007-2013.

The legislative financial statement annexed to the proposal for a Regulation establishing the Agency is mainly founded on estimates and figures from the impact assessment conducted in 2007. It is also based on the assumptions that this proposal will be adopted in 2010, in order for the Agency to be legally established in 2011 and become a fully fledged Agency able to take over all the tasks related to the operational management of SIS II, VIS and EURODAC and other large-scale IT systems in 2012.

The estimated costs for the Agency cover operational as well as administrative expenditure needed to ensure the effective operational management of SIS II, VIS and EURODAC. The total amount also includes costs related to personnel and training. It is currently foreseen that the Agency will employ 120 people. The estimates of the number of staff needed in the Agency were based on the figures provided by the impact assessment. The total figure also takes into account the fact that new tasks have been allocated to the Agency related to the implementation of pilot schemes upon request of the Commission as well as assistance to Advisory groups.

However, what is not foreseen in the budget of the Agency are costs linked to the connection of the three systems to the s-TESTA network. According to the proposal, the Commission remains responsible for all contractual and budgetary aspects related to the communication infrastructure. The annual costs of the connection of the three systems amount to around €16.5 million, an amount that will be covered by the EU General budget. Finally, resources have been foreseen for the acquisition of a new site for the Agency which also has the capacity to host systems.

Compared to the current situation, where the systems are developed and operated separately, once the necessary initial investments have been made, a joint management structure would result in synergies and cost efficiencies in the long term.

Timing

The Agency should become operational as of 2012 and be in a position to take over tasks related to the operational management of SIS II, VIS and EURODAC.

To find out more about Vice President Barrot's work please visit his website:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/barrot/welcome/default_en.htm