TESTA is the foundation, the key enabler and a major contributor to the Digital Services.
The TESTA network service, originating from the IDA programme in 1996, has been supported by various EU programmes, including IDA, IDABC, ISA, ISA2, and most recently, the Digital Europe Programme (DEP). As the trusted solution endorsed by the Member States, TESTA was developed to meet the need for secure network infrastructure for information exchanges between EU Member States and EU public bodies, ensuring guaranteed service levels for network availability, performance, and security.
Needs that the solution addresses:
The solution addresses the need for secure information exchanges between EU public bodies, ensuring guaranteed service levels for network availability, performance, and security
Features that the solution implements:
- Encrypted by EU approved encryption devices;
- Isolated from the Internet;
- Secure data exchange between EUIBAs and public authorities;
- Available to Member States, UK, EFTA, and candidate countries (Montenegro and North Macedonia);
- Efficient cross-border inter-administrative operations;
- Easy onboarding of new applications;
- Trans-European level communication in a safe, reliable, and prompt manner.
Typical intended audience: EU Member States, Acceding and EFTA countries and all EUIBAs.
How to reuse the solution:
By design, TESTA offers an in-country network access point funded by the DEP community programme.
Through this secure access point, national ministries, administrations, and agencies can conveniently access various EU information systems belonging to specific policy areas. This approach helps prevent the unnecessary proliferation of networks, thereby effectively mitigating the growing cybersecurity threats associated with such proliferation.
For example, TESTA is used in the context of the European Dactyloscopy Database (Eurodac) which is the large-scale IT system used in the EU for managing asylum applications within the EU. The Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States rely on TESTA to compare and exchange fingerprints with EuroDac in a timely and secured way, thus TESTA facilitates the support of the effective implementation of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013.
Standards used in the solution:
TESTA is a privately owned telecommunication infrastructure that operates on Internet Protocols. However, it is completely isolated from the public Internet and employs robust encryption using government-approved encryption devices to ensure maximum security.
Contribution of the solution to a policy: does your solution contribute to a public policy? Was your solution developed in the context of a public policy? Is your solution endorsed by an EU institution?
. It is the underlying communication infrastructure of various policy areas (trans-border police cooperation, money laundering, asylum policy etc.…) or for trans-border police cooperation in the context of the Prüm treaty and the Financial Intelligence Unit network in the context of money laundering.
Also, a number of sectorial networks are currently using the TESTA services for their sectorial applications (OLAF, DG MOVE, DG EMPL, DG HOME, DG SANTE, CDT, DG JUST, DG ECHO and DG TRADE,etc).
An increasing number of information systems supporting the implementation of Community policies are joining TESTA, some examples are listed below:
- EUCARIS, the EUropean CAR and driving license Information System.
- ECRIS, the European Criminal Record Information System.
- DUES, the Dual Use System that allows Member States to share information on export denials issued by each Member State.
- EURODAC, the biometric database for comparing fingerprints.
- SCEPYLT, the electronic system designed to control and authorise intra-EU transfers of explosives.
- Prüm, that enables to exchange data regarding DNA, fingerprints and vehicle registration of concerned persons and to cooperate against terrorism.
- EESSI, the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information system that will help social security bodies across the EU exchange information more rapidly and securely – as required by EU regulations on social security coordination.
- EDRIS, the Information Exchange system between the EU MS, the EU and UN-OCHA (United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Aid) on humanitarian aid funding decisions.
- CECIS – the Common Emergency Communication and Information System which provides a platform for secure communication on emergencies in the area of civil protection.
- EUCEG - the EU Common Entry Gate for reporting of information on tobacco products and notification of information on electronic cigarettes and refill containers.
- FIUNET, the decentralised computer network designed to connect EU Financial Intelligence Units.
- EDAMIS, the exchange of statistical data between Eurostat and the statistical authorities in Europe.
The network is also used by the European Institutions, European Agencies and Joint Technology Initiatives. In addition, the TESTA Framework is also extensively used by DG HOME/eu-LISA for the implementation of the SIS and VIS networks.