The European Parliament adopted the resolution drafted by Carlos COELHO (EPP-ED, PT) incorporating a series of compromise proposals agreed with the Council on the proposed regulation on the Schengen Information System, with a view to reaching agreement at 1st reading. The report was adopted by 521 votes in favour to 72 against with 65 abstentions. (Please see the document of 05/10/2006 for a summary of the main amendments.) The proposal is part of a package measures on the legislative basis for a new Schengen Information System (SIS I) which will allow new Member States to join the Schengen area as soon as possible. (Please see COD/2005/0104 and COD/2005/0106). The rapporteur sought to achieve a first reading agreement with Council and the compromise amendments adopted had been negotiated and accepted in informal trialogues with the Commission and the Council. However MEPs refused to introduce a last minute change requested by Council which would allow national intelligence services to have access to the information stored in SIS II.
The key amendments relating to the Management Authority and biometrics are detailed in the preceding summary. Many of the amendments seek to improve personal data protection in SIS II. For instance, alerts after refusing entry or stay should not be kept longer in the SIS II than the time required to meet the purposes for which they were supplied. As a general principle, such data should be kept no longer than three years.