CHAPTER III

USE OF THE EES BY OTHER AUTHORITIES

Use of the EES for examining and deciding on visas
Article 24
1
Visa authorities shall consult the EES for examining visa applications and adopting decisions relating to those applications, including decisions to annul, revoke or extend the period of validity of an issued visa, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 810/2009.
In addition, visa authorities of a Member State which does not yet apply the Schengen acquis in full but operates the EES shall consult the EES when examining national short-stay visa applications and adopting decisions relating to those applications, including decisions to annul, revoke or extend the period of validity of an issued national short-stay visa.
2
Visa authorities shall be given access to search the EES directly from the VIS with one or several of the following data:
a
the data referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of Article 16(1);
b
the short-stay visa sticker number, including the three letter code of the issuing Member State referred to in point (d) of Article 16(2);
c
the fingerprint data or the fingerprint data combined with the facial image.
3
If the search with the data set out in paragraph 2 indicates that data on the third-country national are recorded in the EES, visa authorities shall be given access to consult the data of the individual file of that third-country national and the entry/exit records, as well as any refusal of entry records linked to that individual file. Visa authorities shall be given access to consult the automated calculator in order to check the maximum remaining duration of an authorised stay. Visa authorities shall also be given access to consult the EES and the automated calculator when examining and taking decisions on new visa applications, so as to automatically establish the maximum duration of authorised stay.
4
Visa authorities of a Member State which does not yet apply the Schengen acquis in full but operates the EES shall be given access to search the EES with one or several of the data set out in paragraph 2. If the search indicates that data on the third-country national are recorded in the EES, they shall be given access to consult the data of the individual file of that third-country national and the entry/exit records, as well as any refusal of entry records linked to that individual file. Visa authorities of a Member State which does not yet apply the Schengen acquis in full but operates the EES shall be given access to consult the automated calculator in order to establish the maximum remaining duration of an authorised stay. Visa authorities shall also be given access to consult the EES and the automated calculator when examining and taking decisions on new visa applications, so as to establish the maximum duration of authorised stay.

Use of the EES for examining applications for access to national facilitation programmes
Article 25
1
The competent authorities referred to in Article 8d of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 shall consult the EES for the purposes of the examination of applications for access to national facilitation programmes referred to in that Article and the adoption of decisions relating to those applications, including decisions to refuse, revoke or extend the period of validity of access to the national facilitation programmes in accordance with that Article.
2
The competent authorities shall be given access to search with one or several of the following:
a
the data referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of Article 16(1) or the data referred to in point (a) of Article 17(1);
b
the fingerprint data or the fingerprint data combined with the facial image.
3
If the search with the data set out in paragraph 2 indicates that data on the third-country national are recorded in the EES, the competent authority shall be given access to consult the data of the individual file of that third-country national and the entry/exit records, as well as any refusal of entry records linked to that individual file.

Access to data for verification within the territory of the Member States
Article 26
1
For the purpose of verifying the identity of the third-country national, or checking or verifying whether the conditions for entry to, or stay on, the territory of the Member States are fulfilled, or both, the immigration authorities of the Member States shall have access to search with the data referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of Article 16(1) and point (a) of Article 17(1).
If the search indicates that data on the third-country national are recorded in the EES, the immigration authorities may:
a
compare the live facial image of the third-country national with the facial image referred to in point (d) of Article 16(1) and point (b) of Article 17(1) of this Regulation; or
b
verify the fingerprints of visa-exempt third-country nationals in the EES and of third-country nationals subject to a visa requirement in the VIS in accordance with Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 767/2008.
2
If the search with the data set out in paragraph 1 indicates that data on the third-country national are recorded in the EES, the immigration authorities shall be given access to consult the automated calculator, the data of the individual file of that third-country national, the entry/exit record or records and any refusal of entry record linked to that individual file.
3
Where the search with the data set out in paragraph 1 of this Article indicates that data on the third-country national are not recorded in the EES, where verification of the third-country national fails or where there are doubts as to the identity of the third-country national, the immigration authorities shall have access to data for identification in accordance with Article 27.

Access to data for identification
Article 27
1
The border authorities or immigration authorities shall have access to search with the fingerprint data or the fingerprint data combined with the facial image, for the sole purpose of identifying any third-country national who may have been registered previously in the EES under a different identity or who does not fulfil or no longer fulfils the conditions for entry to, or for stay on, the territory of the Member States.
Where the search with the fingerprint data or with the fingerprint data combined with the facial image indicates that data on that third-country national are not recorded in the EES, access to data for identification shall be carried out in the VIS in accordance with Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 767/2008. At borders at which the EES is operated, prior to any identification against the VIS, the competent authorities shall first access the VIS in accordance with Articles 18 or 19a of Regulation (EC) No 767/2008.
Where the fingerprints of that third-country national cannot be used or the search with the fingerprint data or with the fingerprint data combined with the facial image has failed, the search shall be carried out with all or some of the data referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of Article 16(1) and point (a) of Article 17(1).
2
If the search with the data set out in paragraph 1 indicates that data on the third-country national are recorded in the EES, the competent authority shall be given access to consult the data of the individual file and the entry/exit records and refusal of entry records linked to it.

Keeping of data retrieved from the EES
Article 28
Data retrieved from the EES pursuant to this Chapter may be kept in national files only where necessary in an individual case, in accordance with the purpose for which they were retrieved and with relevant Union law, in particular on data protection, and for no longer than strictly necessary in that individual case.