The European Union's General Affairs Council has approved plans to establish a pan-European agency to manage its large-scale IT systems, PCWorld reports. The new agency will be responsible for operational management of the Schengen Information System--which stores data on the exchange of information between individuals and law enforcement--and the Visa Information System--which stores visa data, including biometrics. The agency, to begin its work in the summer of 2012, will also oversee the EURODAC, which compares the fingerprints of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, the report states. Experts have warned that effective security is essential given the sensitive nature of the data stored.
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