Brussels, 14/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 14 June, European Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström was pleased to underline that it was the 26th anniversary of the area for freedom of movement, the Schengen area. This comes, however, at a time when that Area is subject to tension and when discussion turns to strengthening its governance. There has been tension caused by Franco-Italian friction recently, Greece's shortcomings and the decision by Denmark to impose permanent border controls at its borders with Sweden and Germany.
On 14 June 1985, five countries signed the first Schengen agreement - Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and Germany. After the agreement, the Schengen convention was signed in 1990, coming into effect in 1995. Today, Schengen brings together 25 member states (22 of the EU and 3 associate countries - Switzerland, Iceland and Norway) allowing 400 million Europeans to travel within that area without requiring a passport and without being subject to border controls. Each year, 1.25 billion “tourist” trips take place within the Schengen area, the commissioner points out in a press release, underlining yet again that the creation of Schengen is one of the most “tangible” and “popular” achievements of the European Union.
Malmström continues by saying that, given the concerns of a number of member states, the Schengen area must be safeguarded, “protected and improved” if necessary. This was covered by the discussion held early May and is at the heart of a communication on migration, following the strained Franco-Italian relations on the subject of Tunisian migrants arriving in Lampedusa, after the Italian authorities had issued provisional papers and travel documents to migrants allowing them to move within the Schengen area, and especially in France.
France's fear that there would be a massive wave of immigrants into that country jogged it into calling on the Commission to envisage a new, more political steering of the Schengen area, and also the possibility of restoring internal border controls in exceptional cases.
Meeting in Luxembourg on 9 June, home ministers set out their demand in writing and invited the Commission to put forward proposals, mainly legislative proposals, along these lines. The Commission, however, is expected to await the European summit of 24 June and the political impetus of the EU27 before presenting initiatives.
“Member states have a responsibility to control their external borders on behalf of the other Schengen countries”, Malmström states in her press release, going on to add that the Schengen countries must trust each other, and that the Commission is currently reinforcing the Schengen rules and strengthening the integrity of Schengen to make this cooperation more solid. (S.P./transl.jl)