DVLA data may be abused by the EU

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

A restricted report has revealed that under new EU data sharing arrangements, motorists' data could be abused by foreign officials.

According to a report obtained by The Register, the personal data belonging to nearly 40 million UK motorists will be available to officials in EU member states.

The government has said the new powers are "fundamental" to tackling serious crime and terrorism. But the restricted report commissioned by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) revealed that access to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's (DVLA) data will be uncontrolled.

The arrangements, called the Prüm convention, mean member states can access a motorist's name, address, motoring convictions and some medical information.

The "Issues and Risks" report said: "The UK is aware that this is open to abuse, and that some EU member states are likely to use the Prüm capability for inquiries beyond the defined scope of cross-border crime and counter-terrorism."

Any attempt to block access for trivial reasons is "not practical", the NPIA said, meaning the data could be abused for many years to come. The report has raised concerns that member states could sell the data to commercial interests, such as marketing firms and private investigators.

The NPIA, the police's IT body, is currently implementing the Prüm Convention, which the government signed in June 2007. At first it will grant agencies in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain access to the DVLA database. Eventually the whole of the EU is expected to join, including former Eastern bloc states such as Bulgaria, where official corruption is widespread.

The convention must be implemented by September 2011. It also requires more controlled access to DNA and fingerprint databases.

In turn, the UK will also gain access to other member states' databases.

Dominic Grieve, the shadow justice secretary, said the NPIA report showed ministers had misled the public when they signed the convention.