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1st LD Writethru: 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.

The EC statement said ensuring the protection of the external borders was a shared responsibility, urging the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to adopt the EC's ambitious proposal for a European border and coast guard no later than June.

Meanwhile, the statement stressed that the external border in Greece was under immense pressure and there was an immediate need to address the current shortcomings in border management.

It said a number of clearly defined steps must be taken in the coming months, including full identification and registration of all entries, as well as systematic security checks against databases.

Furthermore, several steps from March until December this year must take place.

As the first steps, Greece has to report on its progress in implementing the actions identified in "the recommendation on resuming Dublin transfers" on March 4 and every month thereafter.

Then, by March 12 at the latest, Greece should provide its action plan to implement the recommendations made by the EU Council.

As follow-up steps, the European border and coast guard will be operational in August this year at the latest, and will be fully functional in September.

"If the overall situation allows," the statement said, December 2016 will be the target date for bringing an end to the exceptional safeguard measures taken. Endit