Fingerprint data quality
Article 4
1. When entering or modifying fingerprint data in ECRIS-TCN the central authority of the convicting Member State shall use a data quality verification mechanism integrated into the ECRIS reference implementation or offered by eu-LISA as a software application. In accordance with the responsibilities of eu-LISA pursuant to Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/816, eu-LISA shall also be responsible for the development, maintenance and updating of this data quality verification mechanism. 2. The same data quality verification mechanism as the mechanism referred to in paragraph 1 shall be established, maintained and updated in the ECRIS-TCN central system. 3. The Member States that use their national ECRIS implementation software, as provided for in Article 4(4) to (7) of Regulation (EU) 2019/816, shall ensure, in case they do not make use of the data quality mechanism referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, that their national ECRIS implementation software guarantees the same fingerprint data quality verification standards and metrics as the mechanism referred to in paragraph 1. 4. For the purpose of the quality verification referred to in this Article, as a minimum version 2.0 of the Fingerprint Image Quality (NFIQ) metric, defined by NIST shall be used. 5. The data quality verification process shall apply to all fingerprint data entered into or modified in ECRIS-TCN, and shall ensure that at least the following conditions are met: (a) the fingerprint data consists of up to ten individual fingerprints: rolled, flat or both; (b) all fingerprints are labelled; (c) the fingerprint data is captured by live scans or inked on paper, provided that the fingerprints inked on paper have been scanned in the required resolution and with the same quality; (d) the fingerprint data shall be provided in one file containing fingerprint digital images (the NIST file) and shall be submitted in accordance with the ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2011 Update 2015 standard (or newer version); (e) the NIST file shall allow for the inclusion of complementary information such as the conditions of fingerprint registration, the method used for acquiring individual fingerprint images and the quality value computed by the Member States during the data quality verification process; (f) the fingerprint data has a nominal resolution of either 500 or 1000 ppi (with an acceptable deviation of +/– 10 ppi) with 256 grey levels; (g) the fingerprint data meets the quality thresholds that shall be determined after carrying out the relevant tests referred to in Article 11(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/816 during the implementation phase. 6. When querying ECRIS-TCN with fingerprint data to identify the Member States holding criminal records information on a third-country national in accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 2019/816, the competent authorities shall use fingerprint data meeting the conditions referred to in paragraph 5, points (d) and (f) of this Article whenever possible. 7. Fingerprint data, except fingerprint data referred to in paragraph 8, entered into or modified in ECRIS-TCN, which does not comply with the conditions set out in paragraph 5, shall be rejected by ECRIS-TCN in its entirety and shall not be stored nor processed. 8. For the data records referred to in Article 5(5) of Regulation (EU) 2019/816, any fingerprint data which does not comply with the conditions set out in paragraph 5 of this Article shall be stored in ECRIS-TCN, but may be used only by the competent authorities to confirm the identity of a third-country national who has been identified as a result of an alphanumeric search. When entering such data records in ECRIS-TCN, the central authority of the convicting Member State shall ensure that these data records are clearly distinguishable from the other data records.