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The Ministry conducted a new update of ECRIS consolidating the control mechanisms against organized crime and reinforcing security across the European Union.
The Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes has set up a new version of the European Criminal Records Information System, ECRIS v1.1, making Spain the first country in the European Union capable of sharing complete criminal information about non-EU citizens.
The update, aligned with Directive (EU) 2019/884, allows Member States to access criminal and biometric information from third-country nationals. Including facial images and fingerprints allows precise identification, avoids impersonation, reinforces border control and reduces the risk of those convicted in other countries to conceal their record when moving into the European territory.
Spain leads implementation of the system in the European Union.
Spain has played a key role in the implementation of ECRIS v1.1. It is the only country in the Union with full compatibility with versions 1.0 and 1.1 of the system, which guarantees its operational continuity. Likewise, it is the only Member State that has completed the two compulsory testing phases established by the European Commission, closely collaborating with the European agency eu-LISA and other countries to facilitate its implementation.
The new version of the system extends the information available on third-country nationals and expedites collection of criminal records. It also includes biometric data to reinforce identification, updates the classification of criminal acts and penalties (with a special focus on those related to sexual violence and domestic violence) and introduces a more agile mechanism to establish new query purposes, subject to the approval of the European Commission. These improvements guarantee that incomplete or unreliable identities cannot be used to evade justice among Member States.
Interoperability and real time queries.
Spain participates in the system through SIRAJ2ECRIS, integrated in the Central Registry of Convicts. Interoperability with law enforcement agencies and the border control systems allows checking criminal and biometric information in real time, improving the efficacy of police and judicial actions.
Every year, Spain sends 117,000 notifications of convictions and 125,000 requests for records of foreign citizens, and it receives and processes 11,000 notifications and 62,000 requests related to Spanish citizens.
