Cecilia Malmström, the Home Affairs Commissioner, inaugurates for managing large-scale EU information systems, a new EU Agency in Tallinn, Estonia. The Agency will ensure the Visa Information (VIS) and EURODAC systems operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The new EU Agency for managing large-scale EU information systems which was proposed by the Commission in June 2009, is going to be inaugurated on 22 of March in Tallinn, Estonia. The European Commission confirmed that the Agency will not become fully operational until December 2012. The main task of this new Agency will be to ensure that the Visa Information (VIS) and EURODAC systems operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Agency will be able to gradually build expertise and know-how to eventually become a centre of excellence for the development and management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice, ensuring that the best available technologies and processes are used. The Agency may also be invited to develop and manage other IT systems in this policy area in the future.

On the other hand, the new EU Agency will be responsible for matters related to the security of the following systems, Schengen Information System (SIS II) and EURODAC, besides certain tasks related to the communication infrastructure and various activities such as monitoring and reporting, statistics and training for national authorities.