Contrary to the Danish government’s claims that Sweden already has customs checks in place of the sort it intends to, the EU commission points out that those are not systematic and therefore legal. Copenhagen is willing to meet with Brussels officials to bring its plans in line with EU law.
VALENTINA POP|EUOBSERVER.COM
"According to our information, Sweden does not have systematic and permanent border checks," David Boublil, a commission spokesman for home affairs said during a press briefing on Monday (16 May).
The Danish government last week announced they will repopulate customs barracks on the borders with Sweden and Germany in a bid to stem trafficking of illicit goods and to track down stolen cars, citing a surge in cross-border criminality.
The "permanent presence" of customs officials and beefed up police presence in the area around the border is a trade off to get the anti-immigrant right-wing Danish People’s Party to agree on a broad package of economic measures, such as raising the retirement age and cutting early retirement benefits.
Copenhagen maintains that its envisaged measures are similar to what Sweden already has in place and in line with EU law. But last Friday, EU commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso sent a letter to the Danish Prime Minister warning that the announced measures may contravene EU law and the principle of freedom of movement of both people and goods.
The reaction came after German officials also slammed the Danish decision as "crazy" and contravening the rules of the border-free Schengen area.
Sweden’s own custom controls and video surveillance of cars crossing its borders came under scrutiny last year, when two complaints that the measures were against EU law were dismissed by the EU commission.
Full article read on: http://euobserver.com/9/32339
