For Slovenia membership of the European Union meant that it was obliged to establish an appropriate new regime on the EU's external border. In accordance with the acquis, this meant the establishment of a new regime on members' borders with non-members - so-called third countries. In line with the Schengen Convention, the purpose of the Schengen Information System is to maintain public order and public security.
The National Office for Slovenia is organized as a section within the International Police Cooperation Division in the Criminal Police Directorate at the General Police Directorate.
Each Contracting Party designated an authority which has central responsibility for its national office of the Schengen Information System, namely SIRENE (Supplementary Information Request at National Entry). Each Contracting Party issues its alerts only via this authority. SIRENE is responsible for the uninterrupted operation of the national section of the Schengen Information System and adopts required actions for ensuring the observance of the provisions of the Convention.
History - from the Schengen Agreement and the Convention to the establishment of the SIS and the SIRENE Bureaux
Following the signing of the Schengen Agreement in 1985 and the Convention on the Implementation of this Agreement (the so-called Schengen Convention) in 1990, the Schengen Information System (SIS) became operational in the Schengen area in 1995, and Slovenia joined in 2007. More >>
Schengen information system - SIS
The Schengen Information System (SIS) is the most widely used and largest information sharing system for security and border management in Europe. The successful conduct of border control at the external borders on behalf of all Member States also requires access to other countries' data on certain individuals and objects.
The SIS is therefore an important tool for applying the provisions of the Schengen acquis as integrated into the framework of the European Union. It is one of the main compensatory measures that contribute to maintaining a high level of security in the area of freedom, security and justice of the Union, as it supports operational cooperation between the competent national authorities, in particular the border police, the police, the customs authorities, immigration authorities and authorities responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of criminal offenses or the enforcement of criminal sanctions. A SIS alert does not only contain information about a particular person or object but also instructions for the authorities on what to do when the person or object has been found.
Acquaintance with data in N.SIS
Tasks and competences of the SIRENE Bureau
The Bureau operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and ensures the exchange and availability of all supplementary information related to alerts and allows the required actions to be taken when alerts for persons or objects are entered in the SIS and those persons or objects are found.
Tasks and competences of SIRENE
What is the procedure in case of a misused identity?
Sometimes false identity documents or identity documents belonging to someone else are used when carrying out criminal offences or attempting to enter or stay in the Schengen Area. In order to avoid the negative consequences of a possible misidentification, data on the person whose identity has been misused may be added to an SIS alert. This is only allowed with the explicit consent of that person. Furthermore, the data on the misused identity may only be used for avoiding misidentification and must be removed at the same time as the corresponding alert or earlier, if the victim so requests.
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