Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2224 of 16 November 2021 laying down the details of the automated data quality control mechanisms and procedures, the common data quality indicators and the minimum quality standards for storage of data, pursuant to Article 37(4) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818 of the European Parliament and of the Council

1 This Regulation lays down the details of the automated data quality control mechanisms and procedures on the data stored in the EU information systems and interoperability components referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818.

2 This Regulation also lays down details concerning the common data quality indicators and the minimum quality standards for storage of data, in particular regarding biometric data, in the EU information systems and interoperability components referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818.

3 The measures referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 are without prejudice to any specific provisions concerning data quality related to the EU information systems laid down in Union law.

4 This Regulation applies to the EU information systems and interoperability components referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818.

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply: (a) ‘input data’ means data, subject to data quality checks for the purpose of being stored in a EU information system or interoperability component referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818; (b) ‘data cleaning mechanism’ means a mechanism carrying out checks in order to ensure the scheduled erasure of data stored in a EU information system or interoperability component in accordance with Union law; (c) ‘issue detection mechanism’ means a mechanism carrying out checks in order to identify data that does not meet the data quality rules or standards; (d) ‘blocking rules’ means rules or a set of rules that measure the degree to which input data is compliant with defined data requirements conditioning their storage or use or both. They also include data quality rules governing each EU information system that must be complied with before data can be entered in the system. Input data not complying with a blocking rule will be rejected from being entered and stored in the EU information system and interoperability component; (e) ‘soft rules’ means rules or a set of rules that measure the degree to which the input data is compliant with the defined data requirements conditioning its relevance or optimal use or both. Soft rules shall not prevent the entry and storage of non-compliant input data. They also include data quality rules governing each EU information system that should be complied with before data can be entered in the system. Input data not complying with a soft rule shall be entered into the EU information system or interoperability component with a data quality issue flag, notification or warning message.

1 Automated quality checks shall be conducted on the data entered and stored in the shared biometric matching service and the common identity repository in accordance with the rules laid down in Article 4.

2 Automated quality checks shall be conducted on the data entered and stored in the EU information systems referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818 in accordance with the rules governing data quality control mechanisms in those systems.

3 Data quality control mechanisms shall be triggered in accordance with the rules governing data quality in those EU information systems and interoperability components.

4 In order to determine compliance of input data with the blocking or soft rules applying to them, the data quality control mechanisms referred to in paragraph 3 shall comply with Section 1 of the Annex to this Regulation.

5 If the input data is to be entered into the EU information system or interoperability components referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818, the data quality control mechanisms shall assess the extent to which the data complies with each data quality indicator by applying the data quality standard of each indicator. As a result of that assessment, the data quality control mechanisms shall assign to the input data a data quality classification pursuant to the process laid down in Sections 2 and 3 of the Annex to this Regulation.

6 The common data quality indicators shall be the following: completeness, accuracy, timeliness, uniqueness and consistency.

7 eu-LISA shall implement the data quality standards for each indicator pursuant to the procedures laid down in Article 5.

8 Data cleaning and issue detection mechanisms shall regularly check the validity and the data quality compliance of the data stored in the EU information systems and interoperability components referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818, in accordance with Section 4 of the Annex to this Regulation.

1 To enhance data quality, automated data quality control mechanisms shall be set up to support the entering and storage of data complying with data quality requirements in the EU information systems and interoperability components referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818. The data shall be entered and stored in accordance with the rules governing data quality in those EU information systems or interoperability components.

2 For the purpose of the entry of data by the duly authorised staff in the EU information systems and interoperability components referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818, the automated quality control mechanisms shall verify the common quality indicators referred to in Section 2 of the Annex to this Regulation.

3 Data quality control mechanisms shall allow the application of blocking rules and soft rules in accordance with Article 3(4) governing data quality in the EU Information Systems and interoperability components referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818.

1 eu-LISA shall be responsible for ensuring that the data quality rules are appropriate for achieving the objectives of the EU information systems and interoperability components referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818.

2 eu-LISA shall also be responsible for implementing the minimum quality standards for storage of biometric data in the EU information systems and interoperability components referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818.

3 For the purposes of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, eu-LISA shall take into consideration the specific needs of each EU information system and interoperability component referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818 and shall be assisted and advised by experts from the Commission, the Member States and the Union agencies using those EU information systems and interoperability components.

4 The following data quality control procedures shall apply: (a) eu-LISA shall implement the data quality standards for each data quality indicator in accordance with Section 2 of the Annex to this Regulation; (b) values shall be assigned to the standards separately for each of the data quality indicators referred to in Article 3(6). For each indicator, the standards may assign different values depending on the category of data; (c) when so required and after the issuance of the regular data quality reports in accordance with Article 6, eu-LISA shall assess the appropriateness of the values and the standards and amend them to the extent to which they are no longer appropriate; (d) when so required and after the issuance of the regular data quality reports in accordance with Article 6, eu-LISA shall assess the appropriateness of the data quality control mechanisms allowing for the application of blocking and soft rules and amend them where relevant; (e) with a view of amending the data quality standards and their values, and to taking any decision on the data quality control mechanisms pursuant to points (c) and (d) of this paragraph, eu-LISA shall consult the Advisory Groups for each of the EU information systems and interoperability components referred to in Article 37(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818.

5 eu-LISA shall base itself on the assessment of the functioning of the data quality control mechanisms with a view to amending the values of the data quality standards and to taking any decision on the data quality control mechanisms.

1 Reports referred to in Article 37(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818 shall be produced by the central repository for reporting and statistics pursuant to Article 39(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818 and the rules laid down in the Delegated Regulation 2021/2222.

2 Reports shall not include personal data and contain at least the following information metrics on the quality of data, extracted via a tool or set of tools developed for these purposes: (a) for alphanumeric and biometric data assessed against blocking rules and soft rules, compliance with data quality indicators: (1) completeness (%); (2) accuracy (%): (3) uniqueness (%); (4) timeliness (%); (5) consistency of data (%); (b) completeness of application files (%); (c) compliance of data with the ‘good quality’ classification (%); (d) compliance of data with the ‘low quality’ classification (%); (e) results of the data cleaning mechanism; (f) results of the issue detection mechanism; (g) data fields that cause frequent quality issues; (h) top 10 issues list for each of the categories referred to in points (a) to (g); (i) the Member States concerned by the top 10 quality issues.

3 eu-LISA shall develop a central monitoring capacity for data quality and for producing the reports referred to in this Article on a weekly basis.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.