  hide cookie message EU police data-sharing plan draws
criticism  EU police data-sharing plan draws criticism
Supervisor warns plan lacks safeguards to ensure data protection
Article comments  Plans by several European Union members states
to establish a system for sharing police data have drawn
criticism from the region's data-protection watchdog.  European
Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) Peter Hustinx warns that the
proposal, in its current form, still lacks safeguards to ensure
sufficient data protection for the public.  "The proposal is
very open on crucial points," Hustinx said. "We need a framework
of common rules before we can move ahead."  Under the system,
known as the Treaty of Prum after the German town where the
accord was signed by seven EU member states in 2005,
participating nations allow mutual and automatic access to
databases containing DNA and fingerprint records as well as car
registration and other personal information. For instance,
police can run database searches on suspected indi