Parliament has approved in principle a nationwide electronic register for the authorities to gain easier access to Switzerland's various police data banks.

The move also aims to provide the legal basis for the use of the European security system from July.

The Senate on Tuesday unanimously followed the House of Representatives in endorsing the measures.

The speaker of the legal affairs committee said the cantonal authorities - which are largely autonomous in police matters - called for the law.

Critics have pointed out the risk to data protection, referring to the 1990 state security scandal over secret files on nearly one million people and organisations in Switzerland.

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative