alphanumeric datameans data represented by letters, digits, special characters, spaces and punctuation marks;
central authoritymeans an authority designated in accordance with Article 3(1) of Framework Decision 2009/315/JHA;
central systemmeans the database or databases developed and maintained by eu-LISA which hold identity information on third-country nationals who have been subject to convictions in the Member States;
CIRmeans the common identity repository established by Article 17(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818;
competent authoritiesmeans the central authorities, Eurojust, Europol, the EPPO, the VIS designated authorities as referred to in Article 9d and Article 22b(13) of Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, the ETIAS Central Unit and the screening authorities as defined in Article 2, point (10), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1356, which are competent to access or query ECRIS-TCN in accordance with this Regulation;
convicting Member Statemeans the Member State in which a conviction is handed down;
convictionmeans any final decision of a criminal court against a natural person in respect of a criminal offence, to the extent that the decision is entered in the criminal records of the convicting Member State;
criminal proceedingsmeans the pre-trial stage, the trial stage and the execution of the conviction;
criminal recordmeans the national register or registers recording convictions in accordance with national law;
ESPmeans the European search portal established by Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/818.
facial imagemeans a digital image of a person's face;
fingerprint datameans the data relating to plain and rolled impressions of the fingerprints of each of a person's fingers;
hitmeans a match or matches established by comparison between identity information recorded in the central system and the identity information used for a search;
identity informationmeans alphanumeric data, fingerprint data and facial images that are used to establish a connection between these data and a natural person;
interface softwaremeans the software hosted by the competent authorities allowing them to access the central system through the communication infrastructure referred to in point (d) of Article 4(1);
national central access pointmeans the national connection point to the communication infrastructure referred to in point (d) of Article 4(1);
national supervisory authoritymeans an independent public authority which is established by a Member State pursuant to applicable Union data protection rules;
supervisory authoritiesmeans the European Data Protection Supervisor and the national supervisory authorities;
third-country nationalmeans a person who is not a citizen of the Union within the meaning of Article 20(1) TFEU, or who is a stateless person or a person whose nationality is unknown;