The criminal records of people who are not EU citizens are to be shared with EU member countries for the first time.
The European Commission announced that it will upgrade its database, the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS), adding information about criminal records of people from outside the EU.
Currently, only EU citizens have their criminal records shared with other member states through ECRIS. Non-EU offenders are not included.
ECRIS came into existence only in 2012 to let courts and law enforcement agencies get criminal records, including fingerprints, from other member states. It responds to more than 288,000 requests a year.
Věra Jourová, the EU commissioner for justice, said: "The Paris attacks in November confirmed the urgent need for more robust and seamless judicial cooperation throughout the EU.
“ECRIS is an important tool against cross-border crime, as it enables member states to exchange information on previous convictions anywhere in the EU.
“Today we propose to upgrade this tool to ensure easier access to the convictions of non-EU citizens.
“Judges, prosecutors or the police will be better equipped for EU-wide cooperation that will guarantee the security of all citizens throughout the EU.
“By including fingerprints of non-EU citizens we will have a strong tool to tackle the use of false identities."
The commission said the proposals will go for ministers' approval later this year and will then take a year to come into effect.
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