Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/31 of 13 January 2021 on laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2018/1862 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the minimum data quality standards and technical specifications for entering photographs, DNA profiles and dactyloscopic data in the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters and repealing Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1345 (notified under document C(2020) 9228)
Data as of 2026-07-04 · Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗
The entry and storage of photographs, DNA profiles and dactyloscopic data in SIS as referred to in Article 42 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1862, shall comply with minimum data quality standards and technical specifications set out in the Annex to this Decision.
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1345 ( 13 ) is hereby repealed.
This Decision is addressed to the Member States, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
Minimum data quality standards and technical specifications for the use of photographs, DNA profiles and dactyloscopic data in SIS.
ANNEX Minimum data quality standards and technical specifications for the use of photographs, DNA profiles and dactyloscopic data in SIS. 1. Dactyloscopic data 1.1. Categories of dactyloscopic data used in SIS The following categories of dactyloscopic data may be used in SIS: (a) flat fingerprints, including flat thumb slaps and flat four-finger slaps; (b) rolled fingerprints; (c) palm prints; (d) fingermark: complete or incomplete set of fingerprints of unknown origin discovered at the scenes of terrorist offences or other serious crimes under investigation; (e) palmmark: complete or incomplete set of palm prints of unknown origin discovered at the scenes of terrorist offences or other serious crimes under investigation. 1.2. Permitted dactyloscopic data formats Member States may transmit to Central SIS: (a) data captured using live-scan devices at the national level that are capable of capturing and segmenting up to ten individual fingerprints; rolled, flat or both; (b) ‘inked’ fingerprints and palm prints; rolled, flat or both, which are digitally scanned at the relevant quality and resolution. The Automated Fingerprint Identification System of Central SIS (CS-SIS AFIS), as defined in Article 43(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1862, must be compatible and interoperable with the dactyloscopic data formats mentioned under points (a) and (b). 1.3. Minimum data quality standards and technical specifications 1.3.1. File and compression format (‘dactyloscopic container’) The input format for the transmission of dactyloscopic data (‘dactyloscopic container’) to SIS must be compliant with the SIS NIST standard based on the ANSI/NIST ( 1 ) binary format. A ‘SIS NIST checker’ will be established at the level of the technical support function of Central SIS (CS-SIS) to check compliance of the transmitted dactyloscopic container with the defined SIS NIST standard. Dactyloscopic containers that do not comply with the defined SIS NIST standard will be rejected by CS-SIS AFIS and will not be stored in Central SIS. If a non-compliant file is rejected by CS-SIS AFIS, CS-SIS will send an error message to the Member State that has transmitted the data. 1.3.2. Image format and Resolution Fingerprint and palm print images referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of Section 1.1, must be of a nominal resolution of either 1 000 ppi or of 500 ppi with 256 grey levels in order to be processed by CS-SIS. 500 ppi images must be entered using the WSQ format while 1 000 ppi images must be in JPEG2000 (JP2) format. Fingermark and palmmark images referred to in points (d) and (e) of Section 1.1, must be of a resolution of 500 or 1 000 ppi in order to be processed by CS-SIS. 500 ppi images must be entered using the WSQ format while 1 000 ppi images must be in JPEG2000 (JP2) format. Lossless JPEG compression must be used for both resolutions images. 1.3.3. Quality thresholds for the storage and use of fingerprints and palm prints images in CS-SIS AFIS Dactyloscopic images must comply with the quality thresholds laid down in the SIS Interface Control Document and Detailed Technical Specifications in order to be stored and used in CS-SIS AFIS. Member States are recommended to check the compliance with the quality thresholds of the dactyloscopic images before transmitting them to CS-SIS. Compliant dactyloscopic containers that contain dactyloscopic images on fingerprints or palm prints below the quality thresholds will not be stored in CS-SIS AFIS and will not be used for biometric searches. Dactyloscopic containers that contain dactyloscopic images rejected by CS-SIS AFIS may only be used to confirm the identity of a person in accordance with Article 43(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1862. CS-SIS will send an error message to the Member State that has transmitted the data wherever a file has been rejected by CS-SIS AFIS due to the low quality of the images. 1.3.4. Quality thresholds for the storage and use of fingermark and palmmark images in CS-SIS AFIS Dactyloscopic images of a fingermark and palmmark must comply with the quality thresholds laid down in the SIS Interface Control Document and Technical Specifications, in order to be accepted in CS SIS AFIS. Compliant dactyloscopic containers that contain dactyloscopic images of a fingermark or palmmark below the quality threshold will not be stored in CS-SIS AFIS. CS-SIS will send an error message to the Member State that has transmitted the data when a file has been rejected by CS-SIS AFIS due to the low quality of the images. 1.4. Biometric searches CS-SIS AFIS will provide a biometric search functionality for all types of dactyloscopic images satisfying the quality requirements established under points 1.3.3 and 1.3.4. The performance requirements and biometric accuracy for the different categories of biometric searches in CS-SIS AFIS are laid down in the SIS Interface Control Document and Detailed Technical Specifications. 2. Photographs A minimum resolution of 480 × 600 pixels with 24 bits of colour depth must be used when entering photographs in SIS. 3. DNA profiles The file type used to describe the DNA profile must follow the Extensible Markup Language (XML). The structure of the file must follow the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) ( 2 ) standard to describe the DNA profile to be stored in SIS. ( 1 ) American National Standard for Information Systems / National Institute of Standards and Technology. ( 2 ) https://www.fbi.gov/services/laboratory/biometric-analysis/codis
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