Commission Decision of 4 March 2008 adopting the SIRENE Manual and other implementing measures for the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) (2008/334/JHA)

2.2.2. Checking for multiple alerts

While dealing with potential multiple alerts, care shall be taken to distinguish accurately between persons or objects that have similar characteristics. Consultation and cooperation between the SIRENE Bureaux is therefore essential, and each Member State shall establish appropriate technical procedures to detect such cases before an entry is made.

The following procedure shall apply:

(a)

if processing a request for entering a new alert reveals that there is already a person or an object in the SIS II with the same identity description elements a more detailed check shall be run before the new alert is entered;

(b)

in case of alerts on persons, if necessary, the SIRENE Bureau shall contact the SIRENE Bureau of the issuing Member State to clarify whether the alert relates to the same person (E form);

(c)

if the check reveals that the details are identical and could relate to the same person or object, the SIRENE Bureau shall apply the procedure for entering multiple alerts. If the outcome of the check is that the details relate to two different persons or objects, the SIRENE Bureau shall approve the request for entering the new alert.

The following identity elements shall be compared when establishing the existence of multiple alerts on a person:

• surname,

• forename,

• date of birth,

• sex,

• national identity document number,

• forenames and surnames of parents,

• place of birth,

• fingerprints,

• photographs.

The following identity elements shall be compared when establishing the existence of multiple alerts on a vehicle:

• the VIN number,

• the registration number, and country of registration,

• the make,

• the type.

If, when entering a new alert, it is found that the same VIN number and/or registration plate number already exist in the SIS II, it shall be assumed that there are potential multiple alerts on the same vehicle. However, this method of verification is only effective where the description elements used are the same; therefore, the comparison is not always possible.

The SIRENE Bureau shall draw the national users’ attention to the problems which may arise where only one of the numbers has been compared. A positive response does not automatically mean that there is a hit; and a negative response does not mean that there is not an alert on the vehicle.

For other objects, the most appropriate fields for identifying multiple alerts are the mandatory fields, all of which shall be used for automatic comparison by the system.

(1)

This text is identical to the text in the Annex to Commission Decision 2008/333/EC (see page 4 of this Official Journal).