Brussels, 24/08/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 24 August, the European Commission again defended the Schengen area. An act described as terrorist, carried out on the international Thalys train between Amsterdam and Paris on Friday 21 August, has raised fresh questions about the rules on the free movement of people.
The Commission criticised this act of terrorism and gave assurances on Monday that it was in regular contact with the national authorities and police cooperation agency Europol. Nevertheless, the Schengen rules are a fundamental freedom and remain “non-negotiable”, Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand stated.
On Friday 21 August, a young Moroccan man who was known to the police services of several member states boarded a Thalys train in Brussels station. He was heavily armed and opened fire on some of the travellers before being held down by several passengers, especially Americans. He did not claim any victims.
Following on from the events, Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel suggested that the European rules on free movement, which have already been thrown into question by Berlin in the context of migration, be adapted to the threat. Michel spoke of “an adaptation and new rules for identity and baggage controls”.
In the Commission's view, the current Schengen border code offers enough opportunities to be able to respond to threats. Should there be a serious threat to domestic security, the exceptional re-introduction of border controls for a maximum period of 30 days is possible, for example. Every six months, the Commission publishes in a report the notification of exceptional controls that the member states send it. The Commission spokesperson nevertheless stated that these controls should be targeted and could in no circumstances have the same effect as border controls. “There can't be controls everywhere, for all trains, all the time”, he said, advocating a “proportionate” approach.
Alongside the aspects linked to domestic security, discussions have also been started on transport and, in particular, security on trains (see other article). On Monday, the Commission acknowledged that the European rules were less advanced as regards railways than in the maritime and air sectors. A Transport Council in October could discuss new paths for legislation.
A European source says that a meeting of the home affairs and transport ministers from the four countries concerned by the aborted Thalys attack may take place in Paris on Saturday 29 August, as recommended by Michel. It would be for the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the EU to decide whether a similar European meeting is necessary. (Solenn Paulic)