Glossary

The Schengen Information System (SIS) is the most widely used and largest information sharing system for security and border management in Europe. As there are no internal borders between Schengen countries in Europe, SIS compensates for border controls and is the most successful cooperation tool for border, immigration, police, customs and judicial authorities in the EU and the Schengen associated countries. Since 1995, the system has helped Europe preserve its security in the absence of internal border checks. In 2013, the second generation of SIS (SIS II) was rolled out, with additional functionalities, such as the possibility of adding fingerprints and photographs to alerts. In March 2023, SIS was renewed with new alerts, upgraded data and enhanced functionalities.

A ‘SIS alert’ means a set of data entered into SIS allowing the competent authorities to identify a person or an object with a view to taking specific action.

The SIS ‘non-sensitive alerts’ or ‘non-police alerts’ concern:

- alert for refusal of entry and stay

- alert on return  

The SIS ‘sensitive/police alerts' concern:

- persons wanted for arrest, for surrender or extradition purposes,

- missing or vulnerable persons, 

- persons sought to assist with a judicial procedure or

- persons for discreet checks, inquiry checks or specific checks

Schengen Information System-Automatic Fingerprint Identification System

According to the specific type of operation, the notification is: sent to the Member State that entered the last new alert in SIS, and to other involved Member States, if they subscribed to the service or sent to the mark issuing Member State and to the Member State that entered the last new alert, if the latter subscribed to the service or sent to the executing Member State and to the mark issuing Member State, if the latter subscribed to the service.

The Commission is responsible for the general oversight of SIS and works with the Member States, eu-LISA and other Union agencies in managing the evaluation of the system and to adopt implementing measures. The body that supports the Commission in these tasks is the SIS-SIRENE Committee, in which all Member States are represented. Its role is to assist the Commission in drafting and adopting implementing acts that set common standards and procedures on the operation of SIS in accordance with the examination procedure. The SIS-SIRENE Committee also discusses and agrees on technical and operational matters.

A specific action to be taken on the basis of the alert if national law so allows. If allowed, the end user is required to take action which is similar to what would normally be categorised under national law as a ‘stop and search’ and therefore the subject must be given all the procedural rights to which they are entitled under national law. A specific check involves a thorough search of the described person, any vehicle they might be using, the persons accompanying the subject, luggage and other objects. It also involves gathering the same information as a discreet check or inquiry checks. 

Use of stamps in travel documents (e.g. passport), which must be checked by the competent authorities of a Member State. The affixing of stamps related with EES occurs during the fall-back procedures and during the EES’s transitional period.

A standard form to be filled at the border crossing point, by the border authority, as per the Schengen Borders Code Regulation (EU) 2016/399.