EU Looking Moving Towards Shared Police Database

DRESDEN - The top law enforcement officials in the European Union
backed efforts Monday to give police across the bloc access to
national databases containing fingerprints, DNA samples and license
plate information.

Despite concerns by some officials over allowing other national police
forces direct access to their databases, German Interior Minister
Wolfgang Schaeuble said there was "broad consensus" among all 27
EU governments to expand an existing seven-nation data-sharing
pact to include all members.

The existing seven-nation pact, signed in May 2005, includes Ger-
many, Belgium, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and
Austria.
It allows police in those countries direct access to genetic records,
fingerprints and traffic offenses in the other members' databases.

Several EU members expressed concerns over the cost of adapting
their databases, but Schaeuble said Germany only spent $1.3 million
to open its system to the other six nations in the pact.


SOURCE:
news.Yahoo.com

I'm not to sure about this, I see the positives and usefulness in it,
in not only preventing crime, but in also furthering uniting the EU
as a more single entity, but I have some misgivings about it,
especially considering that something that is illegal in one country
may not be illegal in another.
Apart from that, I get a bad feeling thinking about it.

Honestly though, i would have though this would have already been
put in place quite some time ago, as it's something that seems like
an obvious first step when creating a confederation like the EU.


Comments, Opinions?

[edit on 1/15/2007 by iori_komei]

Forgive my ignorance, I thought Interpol already did that?

Its a logical step IMHO as the economies of the EU nations are pseudo merged its easy to see how cross country crime would become more and prevelant. This would make it easier for a small town cop in say Sirmione, Italy to see if the traffic stop he made is some mobster wanted back in London.

On the otherhand its a NWO kind of thing to do as well.

Originally posted by FredT
Forgive my ignorance, I thought Interpol already did that?

Yes but to draw a comparison , you dont send the FBI after a bank criminalt that cross state line sdo you?