Brussels, 12/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - The main political groups in the European Parliament (EP) were sharply critical, in Strasbourg on Tuesday 12 June, of the Danish Presidency of the EU Council and the EU Council decision to amend the legal basis of the proposals on the evaluation of the Schengen system and to go for the consultation procedure rather than co-decision as proposed by the Commission (see EUROPE 10629). This decision is “unacceptable” in the eyes of Joseph Daul (France), the leader of the EPP Group. He regrets this breach of the Community method and goes as far as to threaten to break off all discussions with the Danish Presidency. “For me, the Presidency ended on 7 June”, Daul said. Calling on the Council to overturn its choice of legal basis, he claimed that the Presidency had “shattered the Community method”.
Similar views were expressed by the ALDE Group. Leader Guy Verhofstadt (Belgium), too, proposed suspending all negotiations on Schengen until the new Cypriot Presidency takes office. He argued that the EP should take the Council to the Court of Justice of the EU and challenge the choice of legal basis. He again slammed “a clear attempt to repatriate Schengen and to marginalise Parliament” and “a direct attack” on the Community method. S&D leader Hannes Swoboda (Austria) joined in the chorus of protest, he, too, calling for referral to the Court.
Only the ECR Group tried to be more cautious, saying that it was surprised by the Council decision but “even more surprised” by the reaction of MEPs. Anthea McIntyre (ECR, United Kingdom) also warned the EP against adopting a childish attitude and “throwing its toys out of the pram”. The Conservative group says the decision taken by the member states was a logical one in that the issue affects internal borders and national sovereignty. “I can understand why they do not want to give up this power”, the MEP said.
Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, who has already criticised the ministerial decision, once again expressed her disapproval. With the reduction of the role played by the Commission and the EP in the evaluation mechanism, there will not really be any Community monitoring and it will not be possible to respond to potential populist abuses, she said. The new Schengen rules make provision, in extremis, for internal border controls to be restored for up to two years. That is also what Swoboda fears. “We know why the Council wants to short-circuit the EP”: Parliament would “firmly oppose closure of borders without any good reason”, he stated.
The EP civil liberties committee (LIBE) has decided to continue the legislative procedure. As scheduled, it adopted two draft reports on Monday evening, the first by Carlos Coelho (EPP, Portugal) on the evaluation system, and the second by Renate Weber (ALDE, Romania) on the Schengen borders code (see EUROPE 10631). Having decided to disregard the decisions of the EU ministers, the LIBE committee is expected next to refer the matter to the legal affairs committee prior to going to the Court of Justice, an EP source told EUROPE on Monday.
On Tuesday, Danish Justice Minister Morten Bodskov tried to assuage the MEPs' ire, stating that the outcome on 7 June could have been much worse for the EP. Some countries tried to cut the EP out of the Schengen borders code text, he said. Several times he highlighted the quality of the dialogue and of relations with Coelho throughout the whole procedure. Coelho, however, has said the Council has thrown down the gauntlet to the Parliament and is pushing it to the “edge of the precipice”. (SP/CG/transl.rt)