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To share DNA database

London: Police and security services in the European Union will share access to an unprecedented range of individuals' personal data under a radical package of measures . It allows agencies in different countries to search one another's databases — DNA records, fingerprints, vehicle details — and other personal information. Even if someone has no criminal record and their DNA is not on a database, police can ask their foreign colleagues to collect a sample. The measures, known as the Prum Treaty, after the German town where it was signed, are being championed by Germany. Documents show that the Germans are also holding secret talks with top U.S. officials to conclude a data-sharing agreement . A E.U. official said, "Some of its definitions are very sloppy and it creates an infrastructure that may well not be necessary. The Council of Ministers has not been involved, the European Parliament has not been involved. It bypasses Europe's normal processes of accountability ..." —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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