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Statewatch News Online: Italy: Interior Minister details reservations on the Prüm Convention (Schengen III)
28 March 2012
Italy:
Interior Minister details reservations on the Prüm Convention
(Schengen III)
In response to questions put to him by the Senator and former
Prime Minister (in 1992-1993 and 2000-2001) Giuliano Amato, Interior
Minister, Giuseppe Pisanu, provided details of the reasons why
Italy has not taken part in the Prüm Convention, signed
on 27 May 2005 by Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands and Spain, "on the stepping-up of cross-border
cooperation", particularly to combat terrorism, cross-border
crime and illegal immigration
In the answer, dated 17 January 2006, Pisanu argues that although
he believes in the usefulness of cooperation in this field, he
has reservations about certain contents of the treaty, most notably
the exchange of DNA data and the use of armed officers on commercial
flights. In relation to DNA, he notes that Italy does not yet
have a law to regulate the DNA database, and in the case of "air
marshals", he argues that they are not suited to "our
methodology in the field of security, which… mainly rest
upon prevention". He also noted that exchanges of personal
data should be carried out in accordance with two international
agreements that Italy has not ratified yet. At the same time,
he did not rule out the possibility of Italy joining the initiative,
as the Convention is still awaiting ratification by "almost
all" its signatories.
The Prüm Treaty (aka Schengen III) requires its contracting
parties to establish DNA profile databases, which the other contracting
parties will be able to check on request for the purpose of prosecuting
criminal activity, and to be able to run automatic comparisons
of fingerprints in partner countries' fingerprint databases,
when an individual is identified and for both the prosecution
and "prevention" of criminal activity. The treaty allows
cooperation and the exchange of personal data in relation to
political demonstrations and other mass events and to prevent
terrorist attacks, regulates the deployment of air marshals on
commercial flights and of immigration liaison officers (ILOs)
in countries of origin or transit, establishing national contact
points to coordinate the activity of ILOs, and authorises the
carrying out of joint deportations (a practice which has already
been carried out on a number of occasions outside of the Prüm
framework). The Prüm Convention also widens the scope for
cross-border policing giving officers from partner countries
executive powers to carry out arrests or participate in public
order duties in exceptional circumstances.
Source: Intervention by the minister, Giuseppe Pisanu, 17.1.2006,
available on the interior ministry website:
http://www.interno.it/sezioni/ministro/intervistadiscorso.php?idarticolo=418&history=-2
Further information
Statewatch
coverage: "Some remarks on Schengen III", July
2005:
The Prüm
Convention, full-text (English) pdf:
Available in French, Spanish and German at:
http://database.statewatch.org/unprotected/article.asp?aid=26657
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