The European Scrutiny Committee published today a Report on Cross-border law enforcement cooperation – UK participation in Prüm, which is intended to inform next week’s debate and vote in the House of Commons on whether the UK should participate in EU measures enabling police forces across the European Union to access each other’s databases containing DNA profiles, fingerprints and vehicle registration records in order to prevent and investigate crime.
The UK does not presently participate in the “Prüm” measures but the Government has recommended that it should.
Bill Cash, the Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee, said, “The recent terrorist atrocities in Paris form the backdrop against which the debate on UK participation in Prüm will take place. Our Report highlights important questions for Parliament to consider. They include the practical implications of Prüm for the exercise of Parliamentary sovereignty over internal security matters, the risks associated with accepting the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice, the contribution that Prüm can make to the prevention and investigation of crime, and the safeguards proposed by the Government to ensure that individuals are not exposed to the risk of false incrimination or unwarranted interference with their right to privacy.” Please read the report here.
