Brussels, 21/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 21 June, members of the EP Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) approved a draft revision of the Schengen Border Code. This will allow for systematic external EU border checks of all European nationals and their identity documents on the basis of European police files, such as the Schengen Information System (SIS) and Interpol databases. This kind of systematic control previously only affected travellers from non-EU countries, with European simply being controlled on the basis of their identity and travel documents.
This targeted revision of the Schengen Border Code was requested in the wake of the Paris attacks in November 2015. Ministers from the Interior adopted it last February. Members of the LIBE Committee, however, added an amendment to this draft revision, which will only allow for targeted controls (on the basis of risk criteria and on specific individuals and destinations that can be carried out) in the event of long queues and if there is no security risk, explained a parliamentary committee press release.
The proposal amends the current Schengen Border Control, introduces more thorough controls than those currently in place at all external aviation, maritime and terrestrial borders in the European Union. The committee explains that "However, if these systematic controls slow down border traffic flows too much, the EU member states should be able to carry out targeted checks at specified border crossings instead, but only if it first can be concluded that such a relaxation of the rules would not increase security risks".
Every risk assessment should also be based on EU-wide security indicators developed by the Commission, the new EU border and coast guard agency and the Council, says the text. Each analysis would have to be sent to the border member states' relevant authorities, the EU border agency and the Commission.
The Council of Ministers of the EU also suggested this flexibility by ratifying its general approach: if these systematic controls create too much time waiting in line, simple targeted controls on the basis of specific risk criteria could be possible but only at maritime and terrestrial passage points. This flexibility will not be possible at airports apart from during the six-month transition period after the entry into force of the regulation, which will allow time to take into account all imperative airport infrastructure questions. The Dutch minister in charge of the dossier, Klaas Dijkhoff, explained that "after this period, systematic checks will not exclude anyone".
The EP text drafted by Monica Macovei (ECR, Romania) was approved by 48 votes in favour, with 6 votes against and no abstentions. It affirms that systematic checks of all European Union citizens, as well as for members of their families that have nationalities from non-EU countries (using national and European internal security databases, as well as those for lost or stolen travel documents) will facilitate the interception of travellers who are concealing their real identities.
The proposal adopted on Tuesday would also make it mandatory to check all third-country nationals who are leaving the EU against relevant databases, to ensure that they pose no security threat. This vote will now pave the way to negotiations with the Council. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)