Organization:European Network of Forensic Science Institutes

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Short description: European forensic science network
European Network of Forensic Science Institutes
European Network of Forensic Science Institutes logo (enfsi-logo).png
AbbreviationENFSI
FormationOctober 20, 1995
TypeNon-profit
PurposeImproving mutual exchange of information, and the quality of service delivery, in the field of Forensic Science
Location
  • Wiesbaden, Germany
Region served
Europe, International
Chairperson
Dorijan Kerzan
Websitehttps://enfsi.eu

The European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) was founded in 1995 in order to facilitate dialogue among the forensic science practitioners of Europe, as well as improving the quality of forensic science delivery. It has close cooperation with European police forces. In addition to quality, research, and education, different forensic disciplines address domain-relevant issues within expert working groups (EWGs) to the highest degree such that ENFSI is recognized as the monopoly organization for forensics science by the European Commission. ENFSI functions as a non-profit organization.[1]

The number of member laboratories has increased since ENFSI's inception from 11 member laboratories in 1993 to 71 in 2019. (As of May 2020), membership comes from 39 countries spread across Europe.[2] Non-European laboratories are also permitted to be involved in ENFSI as 'Associate' member laboratories under a specific Expert Working Group.[3]

History

Representatives from 11 governmental forensic laboratories in Western Europe attended a preliminary meeting in 1993 in Rijswijk, Netherlands.[4] The official founding meeting occurred on October 20, 1995 in Rijswijk and was open to all European countries. A memorandum of understanding was signed which governed its operation. The first constitution for ENFSI was accepted by the membership in 1999, and the ENFSI website was created. A new constitution was approved in 2004 when personal membership was discontinued in favour of an institutional membership, and membership fees were enacted. The European Commission recognised ENFSI in 2009 and in 2015 at the decision was made to move the secretariat from the Netherlands to Germany .[5]

Structure

ENFSI is governed by an executive branch consisting of a five-member Board and a Secretariat. There are also two standing committees or advisory groups; one for Quality & Competency, and another for Research & Development. Individual forensic disciplines are represented by various Expert Working Groups.[6]

Board and Secretariat

The ENFSI Board governs the activities of the organization and consists of five members elected from, and accountable to, the general membership. The Board consists of a chairperson, a treasurer, and various members.[7] The ENFSI Secretariat is accountable to and operates under the supervision of the Board to provide support for ENFSI activities. It is hosted by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) in Wiesbaden, Germany, with two persons serving in that capacity.[8]

Standing committees

ENFSI has two Standing Committees. These are the Quality & Competence Committee (QCC), and the Research & Development Committee (R&D).[9]

The QCC is responsible for policy development relating to Quality Assurance and Competence Assurance, the provision of advise to Expert Working Groups as well as ENFSI members, and assisting member laboratories.

The RDSC is responsible for ENFSI's Research and Development Strategy, the provision of advice to Expert Working Groups and ENFSI members, facilitation of joint research between laboratories, and facilitation of education and training courses in specialised areas.

Membership

General membership in ENFSI is open to European forensic science institutes and agencies that meet specific criteria. Membership is not based on the individual practitioner but rather by institution or agency. There are, however, a limited number of honorary memberships that have been granted to individuals deemed noteworthy.[10]

Membership with ENFSI (in a non-voting capacity) is also available to non-ENFSI institutions, in Europe or elsewhere, through Associate Membership with a given Expert Working Group, so long as the institution meets specific criteria. Permanent and Associate member agencies pay annual dues to ENFSI.

Expert Working Groups

ENFSI has seventeen Expert Working Groups (EWGs) actively collaborating on furthering their respective disciplines:

  • Animal, Plant and Soil Traces (APST)
  • Digital Imaging (DIWG)
  • DNA - Advances in DNA profiling techniques are disseminated to each country[11] with the European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP), which was set up in 1988.
  • Documents (EDEWG)
  • Drugs (DWG)
  • Explosives (FINEX)
  • Fingerprint (EFP-WG)
  • Firearms/Gunshot residue (FAID/GSR)
  • Fire and Explosions Investigation (FEIWG)
  • Forensic Information Technology (FIT)
  • Forensic Speech and Audio Analysis (FSAAWG)
  • Handwriting (ENFHEX)
  • Marks
  • Paint & Glass (EPGWG)
  • Road Accident Analysis (RAAEWG)
  • Scene of Crime
  • Textile and Hair (ETHG)

Projects and activities

ENFSI collaborates with many institutions and agencies (both national and international in scope), including the following:

  • ENFSI collaborated with the French Institut National de Police Scientifique (INPS) in 2011 to establish a European database of ink dyes and stained banknotes.[12]
  • Another joint project with the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and the Customs Laboratories European Network (CLEN) is a database for controlled substances using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMW) imaging.[13]
  • In 2015, ENFSI concluded a memorandum of understanding with Europol, the European Union's law enforcement agency, which permits the "exchange of knowledge and expertise, underpinning the need for enhanced cooperation in the area of forensic science in the fight against crime."[14]
  • In 2020, the European Commission awarded funding to the ENFSI Secretariat in support of, among other things, ENFSI activities and initiatives with that funding administered by the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs.[15]

Another key activity involves competency assessment and quality assurance.[16] Each of the working groups develops and implements annual tests, usually called collaborative exercises or proficiency tests.[17][18][19][20]

ENFSI also “urges all its members to seek accreditation.”[21][22] The organization's official policy states “All ENFSI member laboratories should have achieved or should be taking steps towards ISO/IEC 17025 compliant accreditation for their laboratory testing activities.”[23] In 2007 around 40% of the laboratories affiliated with the ENFSI were accredited[24] and the figure was nearly 70% in 2011.[21]

Many of the above activities are integral to the Council of the European Union's attempts to standardize the practise of forensic science throughout Europe. This falls under the European Forensic Science Area program (aka, EFSA 2020).[25]

It works with the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL).

It organises events and conferences, and promotes collaboration between research across Europe and internationally.

The European Document Experts Working Group (EDEWG) is actively investigating the use of artificial intelligence in document examination problems.[26]

Best Practice Manuals (BPMs)

One of the activities that the working groups perform is to devise best practice manuals (BMPs) to carry out detailed analyses by each discipline.[27]

  1. On 2018-01-18, the Digital Imaging Working Group published the Best Practice Manual for Facial Image Comparison which discusses Human-based 1:1, or 1:many, facial image comparisons.[28]
  2. On 2022-12-22, the Firearms/GSR Working Group released the first version of the Best Practice Manual for the Forensic Examination of Inorganic Gunshot Residue by SEM/EDS which discusses the analysis of inorganic gunshot residue (GSR) using scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS).[29][30]

Forensic Guidelines

ENFSI has published various guidelines intended for laboratories and practitioners.,[31] including the following:

  1. On 2015-03-08, ENFSI published their Guideline For Evaluative Reporting aiming to “... to standardise and improve evaluative reporting in ENFSI laboratories.” To that end, the guideline “... provides all reporting forensic practitioners with a recommended framework for formulating evaluative reports and related requirements for the case file.”[32]
  2. On 2023-02-02, the Digital Imaging Working Group published the Guideline for Facial Recognition System End Users which discusses the examination of face images through automated facial recognition systems with the scope being "...specific to retrospective 1:N identification searches for law enforcement, investigatory and forensic applications."[33] As such, the document does not address such things as "...live (real time) FR, border control and access to secure sites...", or "Human 1:1 facial image comparison...".

Triennial European Academy of Forensic Science Conference

Every three years, the European Academy of Forensic Science (EAFS) Conference is held under the patronage of ENFSI.[34] The 2022 conference was held in Stockholm, Sweden on May 30 – June 3, 2022.

Honours

In 2018, the Distinguished Forensic Scientist Award was given to the first female recipient, Niamh Nic Daéid.[35]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "European Networks of Forensic Science Institutes Constitution". ENFSI. See page 4, §3 Public Benefit. https://enfsi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/181107_ENFSI-Constitution_181107-approved.pdf. Retrieved 19 September 2020. "ENFSI is a non-profit organization and does not pursue goals primarily serving its own economic interests." 
  2. ↑ "ENFSI: 71 members in 38 countries" (PDF). ENFSI. http://enfsi.eu/about-enfsi/members/. Retrieved 4 March 2020. 
  3. ↑ ENFSI Framework for Expert Working Groups. May 30, 2019. p. 2. http://enfsi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/BRD-FWK-003_Framework-for-Working-Groups.pdf. Retrieved 4 March 2020. "Section 5.2. Associate Member. A EWG may appoint Associate Members as representatives from other forensic institutes, universities or other institutions which are not member institutes of ENFSI." 
  4. ↑ Kopp, Ingvar; Sprangers, Wim (September 17, 2002). "History of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes". Z Zagadnien Nauk Sadowych 50: 203–217. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282387529_History_of_European_Network_of_Forensic_Science_Institutes. Retrieved November 22, 2020. 
  5. ↑ Kjeldsen, Terje; Neuteboom, Wim (2015). The History of ENFSI 1995-2015: 20 years of forensic cooperation in Europe. ENFSI. https://enfsi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/History-of-ENFSI.pdf. Retrieved 4 March 2020. 
  6. ↑ "ENFSI Structure". ENFSI. https://enfsi.eu/about-enfsi/structure/. Retrieved September 19, 2020. 
  7. ↑ "ENFSI Board". ENFSI. https://enfsi.eu/about-enfsi/structure/board/. Retrieved October 4, 2020. 
  8. ↑ "ENFSI Secretariat". ENFSI. https://enfsi.eu/about-enfsi/structure/secretariat/. Retrieved October 4, 2020. 
  9. ↑ "ENFSI Standing Committees". ENFSI. https://enfsi.eu/about-enfsi/structure/standing-committees/. Retrieved October 4, 2020. 
  10. ↑ Kjeldsen, Terje; Neuteboom, Wim (2015). The History of ENFSI 1995-2015: 20 years of forensic cooperation in Europe. ENFSI. https://enfsi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/History-of-ENFSI.pdf. Retrieved 4 March 2020. "The criterion for appointment as an Honorary Member by the ENFSI membership is laid down in the Framework for Membership: “The person shall have made significant contributions to ENFSI or to Forensic Science in Europe”" 
  11. ↑ Times Tuesday December 28, 2010, page 25
  12. ↑ "EURICPA Organises the First European Conference on Stained Banknotes, Held in Brussels". Business Wire. November 21, 2011. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111121005569/en/EURICPA-Organises-European-Conference-Stained-Banknotes-Held. Retrieved March 3, 2020. 
  13. ↑ Dr. Joerg Koehler (May 8, 2020). "Benchtop NMR - Identifying the Unknown in Forensic Drug Testing". https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/92296-benchtop-nmr---identifying-the-unknown-in-forensic-drug-testing. Retrieved September 14, 2020. "Organizations such as the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) and the Customs Laboratories European Network (CLEN) are driving the adoption of a global database of substances." 
  14. ↑ "Europol and ENFSI intensify cooperation in forensic science". Europol. 10 March 2015. https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/europol-and-enfsi-intensify-cooperation-in-forensic-science. Retrieved 4 March 2020. "Üllar Lanno, Chairman of ENFSI says: "Our members already cooperate with Europol with scene of crime and cyberspace evidence. This MoU is a logic step forward to strengthening our partnership and realising a borderless European forensic science area, where both organisations can play an important role, through data and knowledge exchange."" 
  15. ↑ "COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 27.7.2020 on the financing of Union actions and emergency assistance in the framework of the Internal Security Fund -the instrument for financial support for police cooperation, preventing and combating crime, and crisis management and the adoption of the work programme for 2020". European Commission. July 27, 2020. https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/financing/fundings/security-and-safeguarding-liberties/internal-security-fund-police/union-actions/docs/awp_isfp_2020_en.pdf. Retrieved September 19, 2020. "Section 2.5.6. Direct award to the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI)... The beneficiary of the grant will be the ENFSI Secretariat established in Germany." 
  16. ↑ Fereday, MJ; Kopp, I (2003). "European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) and its quality and competence assurance efforts.". Sci Justice 43 (2): 99–103. doi:10.1016/s1355-0306(03)71750-x. PMID 12879572. 
  17. ↑ Mattei, A et al. (2017). "The 2015 ENFSI Fingerprint Working Group testing programme". Forensic Sci. Int. 280: 55–63. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.09.002. PMID 28946033. 
  18. ↑ Zampa, F et al. (2018). "The 2016 ENFSI Fingerprint Working Group testing programme". Forensic Sci. Int. 292: 148–162. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.09.026. PMID 30312945. 
  19. ↑ Mattei, A; Hilgert, M; Lövby, T et al. (2017). "ENFSI collaborative testing programme for fingermarks: Past experiences and future perspectives.". Forensic Sci. Int. 275: 282–301. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.03.010. PMID 28433824. 
  20. ↑ Zampa, FExpression error: Unrecognized word "et". (2020). "Evaluation of ninhydrin as a fingermark visualisation method - A comparison between different procedures as an outcome of the 2017 collaborative exercise of the ENFSI Fingerprint Working Group.". Sci Justice 60 (2): 191–200. doi:10.1016/j.scijus.2019.11.003. PMID 32111293. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Champod, C; Vuille, J (2011). "Scientific Evidence in Europe -- Admissibility, Evaluation and Equality of Arms.". International Commentary on Evidence 9 (1): 282–301. doi:10.2202/1554-4567.1123. https://serval.unil.ch/notice/serval:BIB_16BCC7707F7D. 
  22. ↑ Malkoc, Ekrem (2005). The Role of European Forensic Science Institutes in the Fight Against Crime: How to Get Them Better Involved (MA). Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  23. ↑ "ENFSI Policy On Accreditation". May 30, 2019. http://enfsi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/BRD-ACR-001_Policy-on-Accreditation.pdf. Retrieved September 15, 2020. 
  24. ↑ Malkoc, E; Neuteboom, W (2007). "The current status of forensic science laboratory accreditation in Europe.". Forensic Science International 167 (2–3): 121–126. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.06.064. PMID 16876355. 
  25. ↑ Kovacs, G; Nogel, M (2014). "The Accreditation of Forensic Laboratories as Component of Realizing the European Forensic Science 2020 Concept". European Police Science and Research Bulletin (10): 24–26. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282217615. Retrieved September 15, 2020. 
  26. ↑ "LKA-BW: Rolf Fauser vom Kriminaltechnischen Institut des Landeskriminalamtes Baden-Württemberg ist neuer Vorsitzender der Document Expert Working Group". State Criminal Police Office of Baden-Württemberg. October 25, 2022. https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/110980/5353141. 
  27. ↑ Champod, C; Vuille, J (2011). "Scientific Evidence in Europe -- Admissibility, Evaluation and Equality of Arms.". International Commentary on Evidence 9 (1): 282–301. doi:10.2202/1554-4567.1123. https://serval.unil.ch/notice/serval:BIB_16BCC7707F7D. ""...the ENFSI (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes) has made an important contribution to drawing up good practices, through its working groups."". 
  28. ↑ Best Practice Manual for Facial Image Comparison ENFSI-BPM-DI-01 Version 01 - January 2018 (Report). https://enfsi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ENFSI-BPM-DI-01.pdf. 
  29. ↑ Best Practice Manual for the Forensic Examination of Inorganic Gunshot Residue by SEM/EDS ENFSI-GSR-BPM-02 Version 01 – March 2022 (Report). https://enfsi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ENFSI-GSR-BPM-02-finally-approval-by-the-Board_25-05-2022_with-footer-and-header.pdf. 
  30. ↑ Jeroen Smulders (October 15, 2019). "Discover the First Dedicated Gunshot Residue Solution". https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=18595. Retrieved September 14, 2020. "How we analyze [GSR] is fairly well described in several standards, for instance, the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) and the ENFSI (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes) describe what the best practices are and what the guidelines are on how to analyze these particles properly." 
  31. ↑ "Forensic Guidelines". ENFSI. https://enfsi.eu/about-enfsi/structure/working-groups/documents-page/documents/forensic-guidelines/. Retrieved 28 November 2022. 
  32. ↑ "Guideline For Evaluative Reporting". ENFSI. https://enfsi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/m1_guideline.pdf. Retrieved 20 February 2023. 
  33. ↑ Guideline for Facial Recognition System End Users ENFSI-DI-GDL-001 Version 001 – November 2022 (Report). https://enfsi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DI-GDL-001_GDL-for-Facial-Recognition-System-End-Users_20221111.pdf. 
  34. ↑ "Framework for EAFS Triennial Meeting". ENFSI. https://enfsi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/EAFS-FWK-001-_-Framework-for-EAFS-Triennial-Meeting-Final.pdf. Retrieved 28 November 2022. "The EAFS Conference shall take place every third year." 
  35. ↑ Jon Brady (September 18, 2018). "Dundee researcher Roy uses virtual reality to revolutionise crime investigations". Evening Telegraph. https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/dundee-researcher-roy-uses-virtual-reality-to-revolutionise-crime-investigations. Retrieved March 3, 2020. 

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