In the fight against terrorist offences and other serious criminal offences, it is essential for law enforcement authorities to have the fullest and most up-to-date information if they are to perform their tasks. The information contained in Eurodac is necessary for the purposes of the prevention, detection or investigation of terrorist offences as referred to in Directive (EU) 2017/541Combating Terrorism Directive or of other serious criminal offences as referred to in Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA. Therefore, the data in Eurodac should be available, subject to the conditions set out in this Regulation, for comparison by Member States’ designated authorities and the designated authority of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), established by Regulation (EC) 2016/794Europol Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council (²⁴).

24. Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and replacing and repealing Council Decisions 2009/371/JHA, 2009/934/JHA, 2009/935/JHA, 2009/936/JHA and 2009/968/JHA (OJ L 135, 24.5.2016, p. 53). ↩︎