Keeping of records
Article 16
1. Each Member State and Europol shall ensure that all data processing operations resulting from access to the VIS for consultation pursuant to this Decision are recorded for the purposes of checking whether the search is admissible or not, for the purpose of monitoring the lawfulness of data processing, for self-monitoring, ensuring the proper functioning of the system, data integrity and security. Those records shall show: (a) the exact purpose of the access for consultation referred to in Article 5(1)(a), including the form of terrorist offence or other serious criminal offence concerned, and for Europol, the exact purpose of the access for consultation referred to in Article 7(1); (b) the respective national file reference; (c) the date and exact time of access; (d) where applicable that use has been made of the procedure referred to in Article 4(2); (e) the data used for consultation; (f) the type of data consulted; (g) according to national rules or the rules of the Europol Convention the identifying mark of the official who carried out the search and of the official who ordered the search or supply. 2. Records containing personal data shall be used only for the data protection monitoring of the legality of data processing as well as to ensure data security. Only records containing data of a non-personal nature may be used for the monitoring and evaluation referred to in Article 17. 3. These records shall be protected by appropriate measures against unauthorised access and abuse and deleted after a period of one year after the retention period referred to in Article 23(1) of Regulation (EC) No 767/2008 has expired, unless they are required for monitoring procedures referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article which have already begun.