Toward a European standard for elimination DNA databases: Policy recommendations for harmonized minimum requirements

Elimination DNA databases (EDBs) hold reference profiles from personnel who may inadvertently transfer DNA to evidentiary items (e.g., laboratory staff and crime-scene practitioners). When properly governed and audited, EDBs provide a critical quality assurance layer: they enable timely detection of contamination, prevent false investigative leads, and protect the integrity of cross-border database exchange. Yet practice across Europe remains heterogeneous. This narrative review synthesizes the scientific, legal, and quality assurance landscape for EDBs in European forensic DNA practice. We review variations in national approaches, examine interfaces with ISO/IEC 17025, analyze applicable EU data-protection law – arguing that EDBs structured as standing quality assurance systems fall under the GDPR – and consider cross-border implications under Prüm II. We also address proportional scope, retention, and the risks of scope creep or secondary use. Building on European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) guidance, accreditation practice, and empirical contamination studies, we propose policy recommendations for harmonized minimum requirements: laboratory information management system (LIMS)–enforced pre-submission EDB checks (before national database submissions and Prüm queries); strict organizational and technical separation from criminal/intelligence databases; role-based inclusion that extends beyond laboratory staff to high-risk scene and support roles; risk-proportionate retention with automatic deletion on exit; auditable incident response and management review; and transparency measures consistent with staff rights. We outline feasible legal and governance pathways (Prüm II practical guidance, updated professional standards, accreditation checklists, and – medium-term – EU-level legislation) and identify research priorities, including measuring EDB effectiveness, improving contamination-prevention practices across crime-scene and laboratory workflows, and developing privacy-preserving EDB architectures.