Brussels, 03/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - At the beginning of January, the Netherlands began its programme for monitoring car and lorry registration plates of Belgian and German vehicles. In December, the Dutch home secretary, Gerd Leers, said that this video-surveillance system would not have any impact on Schengen rules or citizens' private lives.
As part of the €19 million “@migo-boras” programme, video cameras will be installed on 15 major road networks linking the three countries. The minister explained that these cameras will be located in a 20km zone surrounding the respective borders and will be operating for a maximum of 90 hours a month, six hours a day. In this context, these controls do not re-establish permanent borders, added the minister and do not contravene Schengen rules. Surveillance will initially only affect a sample of lorries and cars, and if a registration plate has already been flagged up for any reason, police officers will subsequently intercept the vehicle in question. This government initiative is mainly concerned with stopping illegal immigrants and criminals, explained the minister.
After being informed of this initiative by The Hague, the Commission did, nevertheless, address a letter to the Dutch government on 17 November last, requesting that it provide clarification on the period, frequency and objective behind these controls. The Commission has also maintained the right to assess these measures on the ground and observe how they are implemented in practice. The Netherlands has 10 weeks in which to provide a response to the Commission.
With the Netherlands, this is the third time since the beginning of 2011 that the Commission has had to request information from member states on compliance regarding their measures with Schengen rules on free movement. This was also the case with France and Italy, followed by Denmark, which last December finally agreed to lift its border controls.
These measures for enhancing surveillance at the borders or in border zones appear to be occurring in a broader context of reflection on Schengen governance. Last December, European ministers for home affairs unequivocally informed the Commission of their wish to maintain decision-making at a national level with regard to the temporary introduction of internal controls. In September, the Commission proposed that it remain in charge of this area of decision-making.
In December, a small group of countries - Germany, France, Spain and Italy -sought to strengthen the power of the Council in discussions on the Schengen area, by setting up a Schengen zone “steering committee”. One of the objectives behind this idea involves shedding further light on failings observed in the Schengen area, such as those in Greece, for example, and was supported by a large majority of member countries. (SP/transl.fl)