Press Release
Access by vehicule registration authorities to information mechanism will reduce trafficking of stolen cars in Schengen area

Date of release : 02-06-2005

Policy area : Justice and Home Affairs Justice and Home Affairs

Event : Justice and Home Affairs Council

On 2 June 2005, the Luxembourg Minister for Justice, Luc Frieden, presided over the first day of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union dedicated to the area of Justice.

This session began with the approval, in public deliberation, of  a regulation that modifies the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 on access to the vehicule registration authorities to information to the Schengen Information System (SIS) by the services in the Member States responsible for issuing registration certificates for vehicles.

The purpose of this regulation is to allow vehicle registration services of the Member States of the European Union to consult certain data in the Schengen Information System (SIS). The SIS is a common database that allows authorities of each Member State, through an automatic query procedure, to access alerts regarding persons and property, especially on motor vehicles, thanks to the stolen vehicle file.

During the press conference Luc Frieden stated that "with this regulation, the European Union contributes to a more effective fight against stolen vehicles and organised crime." From this point on, the Member States will be able to exchange information, especially for verifying the legal status of any vehicle before it is registered, if necessary, in the Member State in which it was previously registered.