Brussels, 16/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - As announced last September in its legislative proposals on enhancing the Schengen area and meeting the request made to it by the Council, the European Commission presented its first “bill of health” on the free movement area, on Wednesday 16 May. This report highlights the weaknesses in the Schengen area, such as the different pressures exerted on its external borders, particularly in areas for passing from Greece and Turkey and the decision to set up internal borders again, as was the case in April 2011 during the “Arab Spring” and the dispute between France and Italy on migration questions. The Commissioner responsible for this, Cecilia Malmström, said on Twitter that this initial report demonstrated that the area was “working well” and that there were only a few minor problems.
This first report covers the period 1 November 2011-30 April 2012 and discussions are expected to take place for the first time at the Justice and Home Affairs ministers' meeting in Luxembourg. The position taken by France (which will have a new minister on this question) and Germany, on 26 April, introduced proposals on reforming the Schengen area, which are expected to be looked at closely. According to the Commission, pressure on the Schengen area's external borders over this period focused on a limited number of sensitive spots, particularly the eastern Mediterranean area between Turkey and Greece, explained a press release. It also said that following the “Arab Spring” last year, the crisis in Syria could constitute the next major influx of migrants to the EU. In the last quarter of 2011, almost 30,000 irregular border crossings were identified on the EU's external borders, almost 75% of which were located in this Greek-Turkish corridor.
Greece is supposed to be implementing a European action plan to strengthen its borders and particularly improve reception of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers (such as health conditions) on Greek soil. A plan to build retention centres was recently announced by the former Greek government, which also intended, in a more controversial way, to build a barbed wire “partition” with Turkey on the banks of the Evros River. The report explains that following serious shortcomings in Greece, the Commission considers that the efforts made, particularly with regard to land and external maritime borders, should remain a priority. Greece, however, still does not have a government and is expected to hold another election on 17 June. The Commission considers that the EU, which provides funding to Greece, should also support action taken by this country to manage its external borders, particularly by providing assistance to the country on how to use the funds more efficiently.
With regard to application of Schengen rules, the Commission notes that over the six-month period analysed, internal border controls were only introduced on two occasions, once in France along its border with Italy during the G 20 summit on 3-4 November and by Spain, along its border with France and at the Barcelona and Gerona airports at the time of the ECB meeting on 2-4 May last. Verification of appropriate application of the rules was carried out in several Schengen member states, explained the Commission, particularly with regard to their borders in Hungary, Malta and Slovenia, visas in Hungary, Malta, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, police co-operation in Malta, Slovenia, Sweden, Iceland and Norway and data protection in Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Iceland. These controls, however, did not reveal any breaches of the Schengen rules, explains the Commission.
The Commission report also refers to operational mechanisms in the Schengen Information System (SIS) and the Visa Information System (VIS) launched last October, as well as visa exemption schemes and an inventory of the readmission agreements. On this last point, the Commission points out that Turkey has still not signed this readmission agreement for its migrants and that the launch of the dialogue between EU27 and Turkey on these of facilitation is still pending but this is not linked to the subject of Greek difficulties in managing migratory flows.
This preliminary report will be discussed at the European Parliament and Council and will form part of the exercises for enhancing the area's “steering policy”. It is a particularly sensitive subject due to the divergence of views on the subject held by the three institutions. The Commission would subsequently like more prerogatives with regard to the subject of reintroducing internal border controls, whilst the Council would like to maintain control of these decisions. The parliament is steering a middle course in this area.
This June in Luxembourg, ministers are in any case expected to discus reform again, as well as the Franco-German proposals put on the table on 26 April last. The context, however, will be more marked by the recent political changes in France. Will the positions of the new French government differ from those taken previously? According to a French source, it will be necessary to wait for the first orientations provided by the successor of Claude Guéant but this same source indicated that François Hollande's line on Schengen reform could remain similar to that advocated by Nicolas Sarkozy. (SP/trans/fl)