Military Data and Information Sharing – a European Union Perspective

The use of biometric data during and beyond military operations has become a top priority for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in recent years. But biometrics has also been relevant for European Union (EU)-led operations. The use of biometrics in multinational operations, particularly the sharing of biometric data, raises important legal questions. This is particularly the case for EU-led operations, which operate in the framework of an organization that has a strong focus on the protection of the right to privacy and on data protection.This paper intends to address legal questions surrounding the use of biometric data for different purposes in the course of a multinational military operation, with a focus on EU-led operations. The article has a special emphasis on the sharing of biometric data, both between (EU member) States and between domains.