Theme of the day of 15 November 2007

Schengen - Europe opens its internal borders

The European Parliament voted today, Thursday 15th November, on the report by Carlos Coelho MEP (EPP-ED, Portugal) on the application of the Schengen acquis to nine countries of the 2004 EU enlargement wave.

The report supports the proposal for a Council Decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia. The process began on 14 June 1985 in Schengen, and continues to deepen European integration. Border controls between participating Member States cease.

The EPP-ED Group supports the extension of the Schengen area as an area of free movement inside the EU’s territory. Along with the removal of internal controls, several compensatory measures will be implemented, including: the establishment of efficient controls at external borders, the reinforcement of cooperation between the concerned Member States' administrative, customs, police and judicial authorities, a common visa policy, and the creation of the Schengen Information System.

The EPP-ED Group believes that there is a need for solidarity among all Member States in sharing the financial and organisational burden of controlling the external borders of the EU.

Press releases:

15/11/2007

Parlamento Europeu aprova alargamento de Espaço Schengen - Um relatório de Carlos Coelho/ Coelho Report on Schengen Enlargement adopted by European Parliament. Carlos Coelho MEP

	Legislative Observatory: Report on the draft Council decision on the application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the Schengen Information System in the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic
	Legislative Observatory: Schengen: legal framework governing in respect of matters falling with the scope of the Treaty establishing the European Community or EC Treaty the establishment, the operation and the use of the second generation information system, SIS II
	Legislative Observatory: Schengen: access to the Second Generation Information System, SIS II, by the services in the Member States responsible for issuing vehicle registration certificates
	Legislative Observatory: Schengen: legal framework for governing the establishment, the operation and the use of the second generation information system, SIS II

Themes of the Day:

23/10/2007	Communication Infrastructure for the Schengen Information System
30/04/2004	Schengen Information System
19/11/2003	Schengen Information System II

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

	European Commission communication: Schengen: from SIS to SIS II
	European Commission information: Second-generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) - 1st pillar legislation

Website of Carlos Coelho MEP

Background notes:

Five Member States - France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands - signed the Schengen Agreement on 14 June 1985 and the Schengen Convention on 19 June 1990 (the latter came into force in 1995).

Italy joined in 1990, Spain and Portugal in 1991, Greece in 1992, Austria in 1995, and Finland, Sweden and Denmark (under a special arrangement) in 1996. Ireland and the United Kingdom are only partial participants, since their border controls have been maintained. Two non-Community countries - Iceland and Norway - also joined in 1996, but they have a limited role in terms of decision-taking.

The Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997 incorporated the Schengen acquis in the framework of European Union.

In accordance with evaluation procedures as stated in the accession agreements with the 9 new participating states, the Council has verified that these countries have met the necessary conditions to apply the remaining Schengen acquis – i.e. Air Borders, Land Borders, Police Co-operation, SIS, Sea Borders and visas.

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