Brussels, 10/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 5 March, the European Commission adopted a revised mechanism for monitoring how the Schengen rules are being applied in EU member states. Two proposals (a regulation and a decision) supplement the current mechanism in order to cover all of Schengen cooperation, i.e. external borders, visas, police cooperation, the Schengen Information System and data protection. “Efficient application of all Schengen provisions and a high degree of mutual trust among the actors involved are essential in an area without internal borders. Only if the implementation of the Schengen rules and regulations by every member state is transparent, effective and consistent can the system work,” said European Justice, Freedom and Security Commissioner Jacques Barrot. The system of evaluation, which has been in place since 1999, does not fully reflect the current legal situation, the Commission believes. There are also weaknesses in methodology and use of risk analysis. The proposals, then, seek to address the identified weaknesses by streamlining the evaluation methodology and improving the follow-up. They also include “unannounced inspections”. Moreover, they take into account the integration of the Schengen acquis into the framework of the European Union and provide for member states' experts being involved. There are currently 25 states in the Schengen area. (B.C./transl.rt)