Article 15 Processing of data and keeping of records in Central SIS II

The Central SIS II database shall be available for the purpose of carrying out automated searches in the territory of each Member State.

Central SIS II shall provide the services necessary for the entry and processing of SIS 1+ data, the online update of N.SIS II national copies, the synchronisation of and consistency between N.SIS II national copies and the Central SIS II database and provide operations for initialisation and restoration of N.SIS II national copies.

Without prejudice to the relevant provisions of Title IV of the Schengen Convention, the Commission shall ensure that every access to and all exchanges of personal data within Central SIS II are recorded for the purposes of checking whether or not the search is lawful, monitoring the lawfulness of data processing and ensuring the proper functioning of Central SIS II and of national systems, data integrity and security.

The records shall show, in particular, the date and time of the data transmitted, the data used to perform searches, the reference to the data transmitted and the name of the competent authority responsible for processing the data.

The records may only be used for the purposes referred to in paragraph 3 and shall be deleted at the earliest one year, and at the latest three years after their creation.

Records may be kept longer if they are required for monitoring procedures that are already under way.

The competent authorities referred to in Article 60(1) and Article 61(1) of Decision 2007/533/JHA in charge of checking whether or not a search is lawful, monitoring the lawfulness of data processing, self-monitoring and ensuring the proper functioning of Central SIS II, data integrity and security, shall, in accordance with the provisions of Decision 2007/533/JHA, have access, within the limits of their competence and at their request, to those records for the purpose of fulfilling their tasks.