Brussels, 12/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Dutch government project to set up video surveillance controls on roads linking Belgium and Germany to the country have not yet begun, indicated a government source on 11 January. The '@migo-boras' project was originally expected to begin on 1 January but, “the trial phase has not yet been launched”, explained the same source, which also suggested that this phase may begin over the next few months but that nothing was yet certain. This project is estimated to cost around €19 million and is based on video controls (15 stationary and six mobile cameras) of vehicles and lorries coming from Belgium and Germany. The Hague explained that it aimed to control number plates, in an effort to combat crime and illegal immigration in a targeted way. The European Commission was notified about the project and on 17 November it sent a letter to The Hague requesting further explanations about the motive, frequency and time frame for these controls. On 11 January, the Netherlands had still not responded to the Commission but according to our sources, was, “just about to”. The Commission would like to have guarantees that these controls do not breach Schengen area rules, which currently authorise border controls in very specific cases. The Commission would also like to know whether European rules on the protection of privacy are being respected. In December, the Dutch minister for home affairs, Gerd Leers, provided assurances that these measures fully complied with Schengen rules and that the controls were located in a 20 kilometre border zone for six hours a day, which is allowed under the Schengen border code. (SP/transl.fl)