EC proposes roadmap for restoring fully functioning Schengen system
Xinhua, March 5, 2016 Adjust font size:
The European Commission (EC) on Friday presented a detailed roadmap of the concrete steps needed to return order to the management of the European Union's external and internal borders in a bid to restore the normal functioning of the Schengen area.
The creation of the Schengen area without internal borders has brought important benefits to European citizens and businesses alike. Yet in recent months the system has been severely tested by the refugee crisis, the EU's executive body, noted in a statement.
"Schengen is one of the most cherished achievements of European integration, and the costs of losing it would be huge. Our aim is to lift all internal border controls as quickly as possible, by December 2016 at the latest," EC Vice President Frans Timmermans was quoted as saying in the statement.
He said the EU needed a coordinated European approach to temporary border controls within the framework of the Schengen rules "instead of the current patchwork of unilateral decisions."
"In the meantime, we must fully implement the measures set out in our roadmap in order to strengthen control of our external border and improve the functioning of our asylum system. We must also continue to work with Turkey to fully implement the joint action plan and substantially reduce the flow of arrivals," he added. Endit