ENFSI (EUROPEAN NETWORK OF FORENSIC SCIENCE INSTITUTES) was established in October 1995. This date is considered the official anniversary of this network, when the founding meeting with the first directors from several European laboratories was organised in Rijswijk (The Netherlands). The directors signed the Memorandum of Understanding, elected the first Board and introduced the logo representing ENFSI since then.
The Constitution for this organisation was adopted in 1999 in Moscow. In that same year, the ENFSI website was established, gradually becoming the main means for communication and information about ENFSI among its members.
The Expert Working Group on Marks is one of the working groups of this network that covers examinations like toolmarks, shoeprints, tire marks, forensic examination of locks and keys, etc.
The general aim of the Working Group is to raise the level of expertise of mark examiners as well as to promote best quality in these fields of expertise.
This Working Group has a chairperson (who can be re-elected every two years) assisted by a steering committee. They are responsible for assessing the progress made by the Working Group in the past, discussing its future strategy and maintaining the contacts with other Working Groups within this network and/or organisations other than ENFSI.
The Expert Working Group on Marks has created several projects aimed at improving its quality, including a Conclusions Scale Committee, the Best Practice Manual Group and the group in charge of the development of a collaborative test on shoeprints.
Additionally, in order to promote the Working Group an agreement was reached to organise meetings with representatives from de different forensic labs every two years. These meetings are funded by the registration fees paid by each participant country.
The meetings organised until now are as follows:
1995.- Vantaa (Finland) by the National Bureau of Investigation.
1997.- Noordwijkerhout (The Netherlandas) by the Gerechtelijk Laboratorium.
1999.- Stockholm (Sweden), by the National Forensic Laboratory/National Police Academy.
2001.- Berlin (Germay), by the Institut Polizaitechnische Untersuchungen-Landeskriminalamt Berlin and the Kriminaltechnisches Institut- Bundeskriminalamt.
2005.- Stavern (Norway), by the National Criminal Investigation Service.
2007.- Copenhague (Denmark).
In 2008, the next meeting will be held in Spain hosted by the Criminalistic Service of the Guardia Civil.