The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled that EU member states must allow citizens access to information about the handling of their police data and fair legal recourse if any disputes arise.
This ruling answers a preliminary question put forward last year by the Human Rights League to the Brussels Court of Appeal concerning the General National Bank (BNG).
The BNG documents potentially culpable actions related to Belgium’s residents, stored for up to 30 years.
This major tool for the police has grown significantly in recent years, expanding from 1.77 million individuals in 2019 to over 3 million in 2022.
“In Belgium, millions of people are listed in police databases with no means to access information,” decries Catherine Forget, a lawyer. “The only competent controlling body merely assures them that ‘all checks have been made’.”
The CJEU has now deemed this system to be against the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
