Duitsland wil EU-brede uitwisseling van politiegegevens (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Moves are under way to impose Europe-wide rules that could mean the sharing of personal information such as DNA, national police operating across borders and even air marshals boarding foreign planes.

The initial push for stronger security legislation, aimed at tracking down serious crime suspects and terror groups, comes from Germany, currently presiding over the 27-nation block.

In just over two weeks (15-16 February) Berlin is set to table a formal proposal to transpose the so-called Prüm Treaty into EU law-books, a move that would allow EU states to give one another automatic access to genetic records, fingerprints and traffic offences.

The Prüm Treaty - signed in 2005 - is currently a seven-nation pact between Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Spain, with four other member states (Finland, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia) eager to jump in.

According to German interior minister Wolfgang Schäuble, who has claimed widespread support for Berlin's plans among the rest of the member states, granting powers to foreign police officers has already proven effective during the 2006 World Cup held in Germany.

"Security is one of the areas for citizens to see that European integration brings additional value", Mr Schäuble said, adding that the legislative flip should be completed by the end of June when Berlin hands over its EU presidency chair to Portugal.

Legal wrangling

However, many MEPs view the possible adoption of the seven-nation data-sharing pact with mistrust, mainly because they have limited say in sensitive security issues.

According to a British liberal Sarah Ludford "it is a step backward when a cosy, non-transparent group of seven countries - on the bases of diplomatic negotiations - invents a treaty and bypass proper European legislation processes".

"An urgent reform is needed in the area of justice and home affairs", Mrs Ludford told EUobserver, stressing the need to abolish the national veto and to grant MEPs an equal say in the sensitive policy area.

In addition, some MEPs - together with analysts - suggest legal wrangling is likely to accompany the data-sharing ambitions.

The Prüm Treaty is likely to clash with the principal of availability, adopted under the so-called justice and home affairs Hague Programme, said a research fellow of the Centre for European Policy Studies Sergio Carrera.

This principle foresees an information network accessible to all member states by January 2008.

Frattini - it's coming anyway

But despite possible legal wrangling, the European commission has thrown its weight behind Germany's ambitions, with security commissioner Franco Frattini indicating that Brussels wants to take this route anyway.

"You either accept Prüm [Treaty] or we [the European Commission] have to make a proposal for enhanced cooperation", Mr Frattini told the parliament's civil liberties committee on Thursday (25 January) referring to the possibility for member states to band together to form their own policies in case of firm opposition from some EU capitals.

So far, the UK and Ireland are seen as most reluctant, with one UK diplomat saying earlier this month that "the devil is in the detail", hinting that more time is needed to examine all the implications of the German proposal.

But chief policy analyst at the European Policy Centre, Antonio Missiroli, questioned commissioner Frattini's comments, saying "it is most likely an instrument to increase pressure on the most reluctant governments."

"All EU institutions will think twice before creating the precedent", he said, as the mechanism of so-called enhanced cooperation has not been triggered in the past.