The European Union has set itself the objective of providing citizens with a high level of safety within the area of freedom, security and justice. This objective presupposes the exchange between the competent authorities of the Member States of information extracted from criminal records.
(2)
On 29 November 2000 the Council, in accordance with the conclusions of the Tampere European Council of 15 and 16 October 1999, adopted a programme of measures to implement the principle of mutual recognition of decisions in criminal matters (2). This Framework Decision contributes to achieving the goals provided for by measure 3 of the programme, which calls for the establishment of a standard form like that drawn up for the Schengen bodies, translated into all the official languages of the Union, for criminal records requests.
(3)
The Final Report on the first evaluation exercise on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters (3) called on the Member States to simplify the procedures for transferring documents between States, using, if necessary, standard forms to facilitate mutual legal assistance.
(4)
The need to improve the quality of information exchanged on convictions was prioritised in the European Council Declaration on Combating Terrorism of 25 and 26 March 2004 and was reiterated in the Hague Programme (4), adopted by the European Council on 4 and 5 November 2004, which called for greater exchange of information from national conviction and disqualification registers. These objectives are reflected in the Action Plan jointly adopted by the Council and the Commission on 2 and 3 June 2005 with a view to carrying out the Hague Programme.
(5)
With a view to improving the exchange of information between Member States on criminal records, projects developed with the aim to achieve this objective are welcomed, including the existing project for the interconnection of national criminal registers. The experience gathered from these activities has encouraged the Member States to further enhance their efforts and showed the importance to continue streamlining the mutual exchange of information on convictions between the Member States.
(6)
This Framework Decision is a response to the wishes expressed by the Council on 14 April 2005, following the publication of the White Paper on exchanges of information on convictions and the effect of such convictions in the European Union and the subsequent general discussion thereof. Its main aim is to improve the exchange of information on convictions and, where imposed and entered in the criminal records of the convicting Member State, on disqualifications arising from criminal conviction of citizens of the Union.
(7)
The application of the mechanisms established by this Framework Decision only to the transmission of information extracted from criminal records concerning natural persons should be without prejudice to a possible future broadening of the scope of application of such mechanisms to the exchange of information concerning legal persons.
(8)
Information on convictions handed down in other Member States is currently governed by Articles 13 and 22 of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters of 20 April 1959. These provisions are not, however, sufficient to meet the present requirements of judicial cooperation in an area such as the European Union.
(9)
As between the Member States, this Framework Decision should replace Article 22 of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters. In addition to the obligations of a convicting Member State to transmit information to the Member States of the person’s nationality concerning convictions handed down against their nationals which this Framework Decision incorporates and further defines, an obligation on the Member States of the person’s nationality to store information so transmitted is also introduced, in order to ensure that they are able to reply fully to requests for information from other Member States.
(10)
This Framework Decision should be without prejudice to the possibility of judicial authorities’ directly requesting and transmitting information from criminal records pursuant to Article 13 in conjunction with Article 15(3), of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and without prejudice to Article 6(1) of the Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Member States of the European Union, established by Council Act of 29 May 2000 (5).
(11)
Improving the circulation of information on convictions is of little benefit if Member States are not able to take transmitted information into account. On 24 July 2008, Council adopted Framework Decision 2008/675/JHA on taking account of convictions in the Member States of the European Union in the course of new criminal proceedings (6).
(12)
The main objective of the initiative of the Kingdom of Belgium is attained by this Framework Decision to the extent that the central authority of every Member State should request and include all information provided from the criminal records of the Member State of the person’s nationality in its extract from criminal records when it replies to a request from the person concerned. Awareness of the existence of the conviction as well as, where imposed and entered in the criminal record, of a disqualification arising from it, is a prerequisite for giving them effect in accordance with the national law of the Member State in which the person intends to perform professional activity related to supervision of children. The mechanism established by this Framework Decision aims at inter alia ensuring that a person convicted of a sexual offence against children should no longer, where the criminal record of that person in the convicting Member State contains such conviction and, if imposed and entered in the criminal record, a disqualification arising from it, be able to conceal this conviction or disqualification with a view to performing professional activity related to supervision of children in another Member State.
(13)
This Framework Decision establishes rules on the protection of personal data transmitted between the Member States as a result of its implementation. Existing general rules on the protection of personal data processed in the framework of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters are complemented by the rules established in this Framework Decision. Furthermore, the Council of Europe Convention of 28 January 1981 for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data applies to the personal data handled on the basis of this Framework Decision. This Framework Decision also incorporates the provisions of Council Decision 2005/876/JHA of 21 November 2005 on the exchange of information extracted from the criminal record (7) which limit the use the requesting Member State can make of information asked for. This Framework Decision supplements such provisions with specific rules applying where the Member State of the person’s nationality forwards information on convictions transmitted to it by the convicting Member State.
(14)
This Framework Decision does not modify obligations and practices established in relation to third States under the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, in so far as that instrument remains applicable.
(15)
Under Council of Europe Recommendation No R (84) 10 on criminal records and rehabilitation of convicted persons, the main aim of establishment of criminal records is to inform the authorities responsible for the criminal justice system of the background of a person subject to legal proceedings with a view to adapting the decision to be taken to the individual situation. Since all other use of criminal records that might compromise the chances of social rehabilitation of the convicted person must be as limited as possible, the use of information transmitted under this Framework Decision for purposes other than that of criminal proceedings can be limited in accordance with the national law of the requested Member State and the requesting Member State.
(16)
The aim of the provisions of this Framework Decision concerning the transmission of information to the Member State of the person’s nationality for the purpose of its storage and retransmission is not to harmonise national systems of criminal records of the Member States. This Framework Decision does not oblige the convicting Member State to change its internal system of criminal records as regards the use of information for domestic purposes.
(17)
Improving the circulation of information on convictions is of little benefit if such information cannot be understood by the Member State receiving it. Mutual understanding may be enhanced by the creation of a ‘standardised European format’ allowing information to be exchanged in a uniform, electronic and easily machine-translatable way. Information on convictions sent by the convicting Member State should be transmitted in the official language or one of the official languages of that Member State. Measures should be taken by Council to set up the information exchange system introduced by this Framework Decision.
(18)
This Framework Decision respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised by Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union and reflected by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
(19)
This Framework Decision respects the principle of subsidiarity referred to in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and set out in Article 5 of the Treaty establishing the European Community since the improvement of systems for the transmission of information on convictions between Member States cannot be carried out adequately by the Member States unilaterally and requires coordinated action in the European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in the Article 5 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, this Framework Decision does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective,
