Brussels, 17/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - According to the Slovenian minister of the interior, Dragutin Mate, the recently presented European Commission idea of replacing paper visas with the new electronic system is not yet ready. Before leaving the Commission, Security Commissioner Franco Frattini had planned to replace the current visas, which he regards as obsolete, with the Electronic System of Travelling Authorisation (ESTA). This option was presented on Wednesday 12 March during a ministerial conference on security at Slovenia's borders (EUROPE 9622). Implementation of such a system would, however, be premature, indicated Mr Mate in an interview to EUROPE, shortly after the conference. The minister affirmed that, “First of all to create that system, we must have a legal basis. It's a long process I believe.” He thought that such a system would be up and running in five years' time, “if we replace the visa system by then. For the time being, it's too early to say”. In the long term, Commission Frattini had hoped to connect the European ESTA system with a similar system that will soon be operational in the US. Other technology for boosting border security were also discussed by ministers in Slovenia, as for example, the creation of an entry/exit system and the electronic system for registering bona fide travellers. Given the novelty of these proposals and the objections of certain member states, Mr Mate declared that they needed to allow for the normal political process, the results of which could be known in 4 or 5 years.
In connection with the Return directive the European Parliament (EP) is expected to vote on in May but which is still encountering difficulties, the minister said that he hoped that a compromise could be reached with parliament. According to Mate, the timetable contains enough flexibility to reach an agreement on the dossier. Mr Mate finally examined the attempts to find an inter-institutional agreement on the justice, freedom and security area (JFS) for 2008-09 in the context of the entry into force of the Lisbon treaty. He pointed out that they needed to distinguish between proposals that were being finalised, like Europol and which should be completed in 1-2 months' time and those still being discussed by member states. Mr Mate exclaimed that, “We cannot wait with Europol until next year” (sic). (B.C.)