Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-13-Speech-2-204"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20071113.27.2-204"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, Mr Vice-President of the Commission, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, ladies and gentlemen, the Schengen area is one of the greatest successes in the history of European integration. Abolishing internal borders and implementing several compensatory measures, such as the reinforcement of controls at the external borders, police and judicial cooperation and the creation of the Schengen Information System, are the best way to enable freedom of movement.
Like the European Union, Schengen has grown. From the five original Member States, we are now 15, including two non-Community countries, Iceland and Norway, and with the partial participation of Ireland and the United Kingdom. We are now facing an historic event: the biggest enlargement in Schengen’s history, with the simultaneous abolition of internal borders with nine Member States: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Malta. This is an event full of significance for Europe, for free movement and for these new Member States and their citizens.
I must start by welcoming and congratulating them. I want to congratulate them not only on their entry into this area but also, in particular, on the systematic and committed effort that they have made to meet all the requirements laid down by the strict Schengen rules. The December 2006 reports, already mentioned by Minister Magalhães, highlighted various problems which have in the main been overcome. The evaluation teams were composed of experts from all the Member States. They went to the borders and consulates and prepared exhaustive reports containing factual descriptions, assessments and recommendations, many of which required additional measures and follow-up visits due to the problems that still existed in the vast majority of Member States.
I want to congratulate the evaluation team, led by Dr Carlos Moreira, not only for the exacting work carried out in a short space of time, but also because it did not just fulfil its inspection role, it also frequently suggested measures and solutions allowing the problems identified to be solved.
Mr President, the absence of internal borders not only requires better controls at the external borders and a good exchange of information and data through the Schengen Information System (SIS), it is notably an exercise in mutual trust in which everyone must strictly comply with the adopted rules. Guaranteeing effective control at our borders allows the security of all European citizens to be ensured. In fact, the security of the Schengen area depends on the rigour and efficiency that each Member State applies to controls at its external borders and also on the quality and rapidity of the exchange of information via the SIS. Any weakness or incorrect working of any of these elements is liable to jeopardise the security of the Union.
That is why the remaining minor problems must be ironed out. Although they do not constitute an obstacle to abolishing the internal borders, they must be solved. That is why the European Parliament, in the political resolution to be adopted, which has been co-signed by five political groups, and in the legislative resolution, asks to be informed in detail within six months about all pending issues. That is why we also ask that a global evaluation of the functioning of the Schengen area is carried out within two years, involving all the Member States, both new and old.
Finally, I want to thank the Portuguese Presidency for its commitment and spirit of cooperation, in particular the Portuguese Government and the Portuguese Secretary of State, José Magalhães, who is here today, and for the solution found with SISone4all, as already underlined by Vice-President Frattini. This solution has enabled the new Member States to be connected to the SIS. If this had not occurred, given the delay with SIS II, it would not have been possible to extend the Schengen area this year. Minister Magalhães, I am fully aware of your extensive personal commitment and I also want to congratulate Dr Eduarda Peixeiro, to whom much is owed for the solution adopted.
I have two final comments. The first is to the European Commission. I would like to remind it once again that the creation of SIS II continues to be a priority for the European Parliament, not necessarily to allow the new Member States to access the system, as this has been solved with SISone4all, but mainly because, within the Community framework, it will enable more efficient use of data, thereby improving security through both the inclusion of biometric data and the interlinking of alerts. My second comment is to the Council. I must express my regret that at the start of this consultation process it did not respect the principle of reasonable cooperation with Parliament as it refused to send the evaluation reports prepared by the experts, on security grounds. Although a compromise was found to resolve the situation temporarily, a long-term solution must be sought. It is absurd to deny Parliament material with which it exercises its legislative competences.
Mr President, we have taken another step towards European integration. It is up to all of us to make sure that this step results in more freedom and greater security."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples