FantasticSearch

1. Personal data processed by Europol shall be stored by Europol only for as long as is necessary and proportionate for the purposes for which the data are processed.

2. Europol shall in any event review the need for continued storage no later than three years after the start of initial processing of personal data. Europol may decide on the continued storage of personal data until the following review, which shall take place after another period of three years, if continued storage is still necessary for the performance of Europol's tasks. The reasons for the continued storage shall be justified and recorded. If no decision is taken on the continued storage of personal data, that data shall be erased automatically after three years.

3. If personal data as referred to in Article 30(1) and (2) are stored for a period exceeding five years, the EDPS shall be informed accordingly.

4. Where a Member State, a Union body, a third country or an international organisation has indicated any restriction as regards the earlier erasure or destruction of the personal data at the moment of transfer in accordance with Article 19(2), Europol shall erase the personal data in accordance with those restrictions. If continued storage of the data is deemed necessary, on the basis of information that is more extensive than that possessed by the data provider, in order for Europol to perform its tasks, Europol shall request the authorisation of the data provider to continue storing the data and shall present a justification for such request.

5. Where a Member State, a Union body, a third country or an international organisation erases from its own data files personal data provided to Europol, it shall inform Europol accordingly. Europol shall erase the data unless the continued storage of the data is deemed necessary, on the basis of information that is more extensive than that possessed by the data provider, in order for Europol to perform its tasks. Europol shall inform the data provider of the continued storage of such data and present a justification of such continued storage.

6. Personal data shall not be erased if:

(a) this would damage the interests of a data subject who requires protection. In such cases, the data shall be used only with the express and written consent of the data subject;

(b) their accuracy is contested by the data subject, for a period enabling Member States or Europol, where appropriate, to verify the accuracy of the data;

(c) they have to be maintained for purposes of proof or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; or (d) the data subject opposes their erasure and requests the restriction of their use instead.