S.I. No. 250/2026 - European Union (Vehicle Registration Data (Automated Searching and Exchange)) (Amendment) Regulations 2026

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 12th June, 2026.

I, DARRAGH O’BRIEN, Minister for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act 1972 (No. 27 of 1972) and for the purpose of giving further effect to Title II of Part Three of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part, done at Brussels and London on 30 December 2020¹ as approved by Council Decision (EU) 2021/689 of 29 April 2021² , and as given further effect by the unilateral declaration of the European Union attached to Council Decision (EU) 2026/1069 of 12 May 2026³ , and for the purpose of giving further effect to Council Decision 2008/615/JHA of 23 June 2008⁴ and Council Decision 2008/616/JHA of 23 June 2008⁵ as amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/982 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 March 2024⁶ , hereby make the following regulations:

1.

2.

3.

4.

• (a) in subsection (1) –

• (i) by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “Council Decision”:

“ ‘Council Decision’ means Council Decision 2008/615/JHA of 23 June 2008⁴ on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime, as amended by the Prüm II Regulation;”,

• (ii) by the substitution, in the definition of “data protection authority”, of “European Union instrument, the Agreement or the Trade and Cooperation Agreement” for “European Union instrument or the Agreement”,

• (iii) by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “designated state”:

“ ‘designated state’ means a Members State (other than the State), Iceland, Norway or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;”,

• (iv) by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “European Union instrument or the Agreement”:

“ ‘European Union instrument, the Agreement or the Trade and Cooperation Agreement’ means the Council Decision, the Implementing Council Decision, the Agreement or the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, or provisions of any of them, insofar as they concern cooperation in relation to –

• (a) automated searching of vehicle registration data, and

• (b) the exchange of such data,

by or between authorities which are responsible for the prevention, detection and investigation of criminal offences in the State and designated states under the said instruments or agreements;”,

• (v) by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “Implementing Council Decision”:

“ ‘Implementing Council Decision’ means Council Decision 2008/616/JHA of 23 June 2008⁵ on the implementation of Decision 2008/615/JHA on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime, as amended by the Prüm II Regulation;”,

• (vi) by the substitution, in the definition of “national contact point”, of “European Union instrument, the Agreement or the Trade and Cooperation Agreement” for “European Union instrument or the Agreement”,

• (vii) by the insertion of the following definitions:

“ ‘Prüm II Regulation’ means Regulation (EU) 2024/982 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 March 2024⁶ on the automated search and exchange of data for police cooperation, and amending Council Decisions 2008/615/JHA and 2008/616/JHA and Regulations (EU) 2018/1726, (EU) No 2019/817 and (EU) 2019/818 of the European Parliament and of the Council;

‘Trade and Cooperation Agreement’ means the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part, done at Brussels and London on 30 December 2020¹ , as approved by Council Decision (EU) 2021/689 of 29 April 2021² , and as given further effect by the unilateral declaration of the European Union attached to Council Decision (EU) 2026/1069 of 12 May 2026³ ;”, and

• (b) in subsection (2) by the substitution of “European Union instrument, the Agreement or Title II of Part Three of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement” for “European Union instrument or the Agreement” in both places where it occurs.

5.

6.

• (a) in subsection (3)(a)(ii) by the substitution of “the Council Decision or Title II of Part Three of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement” for “the Council Decision”, and

• (b) in subsection (4) by the substitution of “in accordance with Article 12 of the Council Decision or Article 537 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement” for “in accordance with Article 12 of the Council Decision”.

7.

8.

9.

10.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

11 June, 2026.

DARRAGH O’BRIEN,

Minister for Transport.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations amend the Vehicle Registration Data (Automated Searching and Exchange) Act 2018 . The purpose of the Regulations is to allow vehicle registration data to be shared with the United Kingdom from 15 June 2026 in accordance with Article 537 of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, on the same basis as vehicle registration data is shared with EU Member States in accordance with the Prüm Decisions. The Prüm Decisions allow for the automated searching and exchange of personal data between Member States concerning vehicle registration data for the purpose of the prevention and investigation of criminal offences.

Footnotes