by Jason Morris

This is a step in the right direction.  With international screening becoming more important across the globe this could be a big win for screening firms.  Nothing will come out of this directly for background firms but its a step that could make more records available in the future.

EU aims to share criminal records with its members

The European Commission has proposed the establishment of the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) a computerised database allowing European Union member states to share the criminal records of their citizens.

Announcing the ECRIS proposals, European Commission Vice-president Jacques Barrot, the Commissioner responsible for Justice Freedom and Security said in a statement: “To reinforce the European Area of Security and Justice, and to ensure the security of citizens, it is important to establish at European level a concrete and user-friendly system which will enable an efficient exchange of information on previous convictions of criminals.

“Information about previous conviction shall circulate between judges and prosecutors as well as police authorities. This is essential in order to provide adequate responses to crime but also to prevent new crimes from being committed,” explained the Commissioner, who recently took over the portfolio in an internal reshuffle of the Barroso Commission.

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