Brussels, 04/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 4 May, the European Commission proposed a recommendation to the EU Council of Ministers to allow five countries, including four member states and Norway, to extend their temporary internal border control measures within the Schengen area for a maximum period of six months.
This proposal seeks to ensure that the Schengen area resumes normal operations as from the end of November 2016, as indicated by the Commission in its roadmap on 4 March (see EUROPE 11505). The Council of Ministers is therefore requested to adopt, before 12 May, this proposal authorising Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, to extend their control measures for six months.
The Commission explained that this proposal is based on an assessment of the situation in Greece, where an inspection took place between 10-16 April. Although the country has made "significant progress", as emphasised on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, said that deficiencies persist which justify the extension of these measures. He asserted that "Shortcomings are still being observed at our external borders and we therefore have to authorise the extension of these measures".
The Commission points out that there are still significant numbers of migrants in Greece and that although the Balkans route has been closed down, secondary movements of migrants to other EU member states have not been ruled out, including from Italy. The Commission proposal therefore plans to activate former Article 26 of the Schengen Border Code (now Article 29). This article allows member states to renew these six-month periods for a maximum of two years. The Commission is hoping, however, that the countries concerned will gradually get rid of their controls.
Mr Avramopoulos also explained that the proposal would not include imposing border controls in Greek airports or ports. These temporary measures currently only involve border controls between Austria and Slovenia, Austria and Hungary, Germany and Austria, Danish measures in Danish ports and ferry connections with Germany and the German-Danish border. Swedish ports and connections with Denmark are also affected.
It should also be pointed out that France is not affected by this proposal, although its Minister for the Interior, Bernard Cazeneuve, was involved in addressing a letter on Monday 2 May from the five Ministers of the Interior in the member states concerned and Norway, calling on the Commission to extend these border control measures. France is applying control measures but not as part of the immigration dossier and has been doing so in the context of the state of emergency following the terrorist attacks. These controls have currently been authorised in France until 26 May. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)