Brussels, 28/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 28 April, Mina Andreeva, a Commission spokesperson explained that the Commission had "serious concerns" about Austria's project to build a physical barrier at the Brenner Pass, along the Austro-Italian border.
The European Commission is against any further measures that could hamper the return at the end of 2016 to the normal functioning of the Schengen area of free movement of persons, as stipulated in the Commission roadmap published at the beginning of March (see EUROPE 11505).
According to the spokesperson, Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission will be discussing the Austrian project with the President of the Italian Council, Matteo Renzi, on Thursday 5 May in Rome, during the Charlemagne prize award ceremony to Pope Francis.
Vienna has announced that it will be building a 370 metre long by 4 metre high barrier at the border with Italy, to stem the flow of migrants coming from this country, unless Italy authorises the Italian police to patrol trains on Italian territory. Austria wants to mobilise 250 police officers for the controls as from the end of May and 1500 Austrian soldiers who will be available to intervene at the border. The respective Austrian and Italian ministers of the interior will be meeting up on Thursday afternoon in Rome to discuss this issue.
The Commission Spokesperson also said on Thursday that the Commission would also be calling on the Austrian government to send it the new law on asylum as soon as it is finalised. This new law was partially adopted on Wednesday 27 April and it has been subject to much criticism from NGOs because it drastically restricts the right to asylum. The text adopted by the Parliament imposes a three-year limit on the initial granting of asylum rights, as well as the possibility of decreeing a "state of migration emergency" in which migrants would be blocked at the border, without being able to formulate a request for asylum. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)