Brussels, 20/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 18 December, members of the EP civil liberties committee gave the go-ahead on Tuesday for an extension of simplified controls at the external frontiers of Bulgaria and Romania. This system will enable these two new member states to recognise unilaterally certain documents issued by Schengen zone countries for individuals making visits of less than five days.
The EP civil liberties committee today approved a report under the co-decision procedure by Michael Cashman (PES, UK) supporting the Commission's proposal to extend the simplified regime to Bulgaria and Romania. These countries were not part of the Union when the two decisions were adopted. Member states concerned are able either to apply the new instrument or to continue issuing national visas. If they opt to apply the common rules, Bulgaria and Romania will have to accept all documents of member states which implement the full Schengen acquis.
Another co-decision report by Panayiotis Demetriou (EPP-ED, Greece), also adopted by the civil liberties committee, aims to enable Bulgaria and Romania to recognise unilaterally certain residence documents issued, for transit purposes, by Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The civil liberties committee also adopted the report prepared by Roberta Angelilli (UEN, Italy) on the future European strategy on children's rights, which will be submitted to a vote at the January plenary session in Strasbourg. MEPs also appealed for tougher measures to combat paedophilia on the internet. Additionally; the committee advocated creating a single set of extraterritorial criminal laws to counter child sex tourism, and a system enabling the prosecution within Europe of suppliers of products manufactured with child labour.
As part of the fight against radicalisation and recruitment of terrorists, MEPs gave their support to the own initiative report of Jaime Mayor Oreja (EPP-ED, Spain). The text calls on member states to amend the definition of terrorist attacks and sentences that could apply to “the apology and justification of terrorism…without impacting on the freedom of expression within the EU”.
MEPs adopted the consultation report of Armando França (PES, Italy) on the Austrian initiative to improve cooperation between the different special intervention units from EU member states in the event of a crisis. The vote on this report is expected during the plenary session at the end of January in Brussels. (B.C.)