Table 10.

Summary of dates and activities around selection and application of core forensic DNA markers (short tandem repeats, STRs) in Europe and the United States.

European Dates	U.S. dates	Activity
Early 1990s	Early 1990s	Initial STR papers [122–125]
	1994	DNA Identification Act authorizes FBI to develop a national DNA database
1995		UK National DNA database began with 6 STRs (SGM) [126]
	1997	Selection of U.S. CODIS core 13 STR loci [127,128]
	1998	U.S. National DNA Index System (NDIS) launched
1998		Initial Interpol European Standard Set (ESS) 4 STR loci [131]
1999		ESS increased to 7 STRs; UK goes to 10 STRs (SGM Plus) [131]
2004		EDNAP degraded DNA interlaboratory study conducted [131]
2005		EDNAP/ENFSI recommend new loci [131]
2005		Agreement for European data sharing (Prüm treaty) [131]
2006		Letters to editor announce proposed new loci [129,130]
2007–2008		Prototype kits developed and tested
2009		ENFSI votes to expand ESS to 12 STR loci [131]
2010		New STR kits released to meet European requirements
	2010	FBI Core STR Working Group begins considering expanding U.S. core loci
2011		Implementation of expanded ESS 12 required in Europe
	2011	Expanded CODIS set proposed [132]
	2012	New STR kits released to meet U.S. requirements; U.S. population data collected [134]
	2013–2014	FBI consortium validation project test of 24 plex STR kits
	2015	New CODIS 20 core loci announced [133]
	2017	Implementation expanded CODIS 20 required in the U.S. [133]