Brussels, 10/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - EU Ministers from the Interior meeting in Brussels on Thursday 10 March took note of the progress made in the work on the future European coast and border guards and are expected to be able to reach a general approach in April, according to the Dutch Minister for Justice and Security, Klaas Dijkhoff. He said he was “very optimistic” about the April deadline, which will facilitate, if the EP follows the same pace, the validation of the dossier before the end of the Presidency.
On Wednesday 9 March, the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union (COREPER) reached an agreement on some of the most difficult points in the proposal, which seeks to strengthen the management of external borders in the Schengen area by mobilising national resources on a permanent basis.
COREPER also validated the principle of the right of intervention, which, in the most extreme cases, could be activated without the agreement of the country concerned. According to member state spokespersons, this intervention could also be made on the basis of a Council and not a Commission decision, as the latter had proposed.
According to the most recent compromise on the ministers' table, the future Agency (after serious failings at an external border point have been flagged up) will be able to deploy a team five days after the adoption of an operational plan. This intervention team can be made up from the rapid intervention reserve that member states will have previously set up. An additional coast and border guard team would then be deployed in the seven days following this initial intervention.
The member state concerned would be requested to cooperate but in extreme cases where it fails to do so in the 30 days following the Council decision, the proposal also stipulates that one or several member states will be able to re-establish controls at their internal borders for a period lasting up to 6 months. This six-month period can be renewed on three separate occasions if shortcomings persist. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)