The expansion of the scope of and simplification of the access to Eurodac for law enforcement purposes should help Member States deal with the increasingly complicated operational situations and cases involving cross-border crimes and terrorism with a direct impact on the security situation in the Union. The conditions for access to Eurodac for the purposes of the prevention, detection or investigation of terrorist offences or of other serious criminal offences should also allow the law enforcement authorities of the Member States to tackle cases of suspects using multiple identities. For that purpose, obtaining a hit during a consultation of a relevant database prior to accessing Eurodac should not prevent such access. It can also be a useful tool to respond to the threat from radicalised persons or terrorists who might have been registered in Eurodac. A broader and simpler access to Eurodac for law enforcement authorities of the Member States should, while guaranteeing full respect for fundamental rights, enable Member States to use all existing tools to ensure an area of freedom, security and justice.