22/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - the regulation on the creation of Eurodac was published in the Official Journal n.L/316. The Eurodac system has been created to allow for the comparison of fingerprints of asylum-seekers, so that the Dublin Convention (relating to determining which State is responsible for examining a request for asylum) can be implemented effectively. It is indeed essential to be able to identify asylum-seekers with certainty, so as to avoid their submitting requests in several Member States. The European Commission will create a "Central Eurodac Unit"; Member States will gather the fingerprints of all asylum-seekers over 14 years of age and the data will be registered at the Central Unit. Detailed provisions govern the use and protection of the data, their erasing, etc. Eurodac's work will begin when: a) each Member state has notified provisions taken to make the system work; b) the Commission can get the Central Unit to work correctly.