Upgrade of the schengen rules is the main decision made by the EU leaders during European Council, held in Brussels in late June, 2011. The EU leaders agreed on key decisions that have become the answer to the crisis of the Schengen system caused by migration flows on the southern borders of the EU.
Here are the main ideas of this documents aimed at modernising the whole Schengen area providing for the mechanism of the temporary restoring of the border controls in case of rapid migration flaws or other threats. The Commission will develop and present the next set of proposals in the Autumn.
The free movement of persons, as established in the Treaty, is one of the most tangible and successful achievements of European integration as well as being a fundamental freedom. Political guidance and cooperation in the Schengen area need to be further strengthened, enhancing mutual trust between Member States.
The future Schengen evaluation system will provide for the strengthening, adaptation and extension of the criteria based on the EU acquis. The evaluation should be EU-based and involve experts from the Member States, the Commission and competent agencies.
A mechanism should be introduced in order to respond to exceptional circumstances putting the overall functioning of Schengen cooperation at risk, without jeopardising the principle of free movement of persons.
Responsibility for the control and surveillance of the external borders lies with the Member States which, in performing this function, are also acting in the common interest of all Member States. In order to ensure that
The functioning of Frontex and other agencies needs to be continuously monitored to ensure their continued efficiency in assisting Member States in managing external borders, in fighting illegal immigration and in dealing with refugees. Frontex will cooperate with the third countries concerned. The Commission, in close cooperation with Frontex, is invited to present further ideas in that respect by the end of the year.
A consistent and strategic policy is required to manage mobility in a secure environment. The objective must be to address the root causes of migration at a structural level. To that end, and in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, partnerships will be developed with the countries of the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhood.
The Commission is invited to present its evaluation of the Global Approach to Migration. Recent developments have put European asylum policy under strain. Safe and efficient
asylum procedures are needed for people in need of protection. This requires in turn that the EU acquis in this field be fully applied.
Changes should not, as a result, encourage the submission of unfounded claims or increase overall costs for Member States. These negotiations should now be taken forward with diligence on the basis of a balanced overall approach encompassing all proposals on the table in order to meet the key objectives set out above.
Full text of this document you can find on: http://www.consilium.europa.eu
or you can download it on our web-site.
