Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-13-Speech-2-206"
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"en.20071113.27.2-206"2
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"Mr President, on behalf of my group I, too, would like to congratulate the citizens of the nine new Member States on the present that the Portuguese Presidency will be giving them on 21 and 22 December. I am in complete agreement with the Minister and the Presidency, who are indeed dismantling the last remains of the Iron Curtain. The free movement of citizens without internal borders is a very positive thing and one of the most important freedoms of the European Union, and I welcome the fact that the inhabitants of the nine new Member States will now be able to enjoy it.
The Schengen Agreement, however, concerns more than just the removal of internal borders. It also means that the external borders of the Union must now be monitored by these new countries, in the interest of all the other Member States. It is very important that the expansion of the Schengen area does not jeopardise our security. Mr Frattini and the Minister have both said the same. Efficient and effective border controls are therefore essential.
The assessment of the Council and the Commission show that the nine countries are in principle ready to take on this task, but that improvements could be made in a number of areas, for example as regards staffing and airport infrastructure, and our curiosity has been aroused as to the evaluations and monitoring that will appear as a result. We hope, too, that Parliament will be swiftly informed about this.
Schengen of course relates to much more than border controls. It implies greater police and judicial cooperation between Schengen countries. We are glad that in the case of these nine Member States the Portuguese Presidency has found a solution with a sort of SIS 1+, although we maintain that progress must be made as soon as possible on SIS II. I am happy with Mr Frattini’s promise to have it by December 2008, and naturally we will hold him to that.
We understand that Bulgaria and Romania still have to wait a number of years, but we also hope that these countries will continue to work hard, with our help, so that in a few years they can also join the Schengen area.
The same applies to Cyprus. It is a shame that the problem that has been holding the country back for so long is now also preventing it from joining the Schengen area. That is another argument for working together to find a solution to the problem that has affected this country for too long already. In other areas, too, for example in relations with Turkey, this question leads to problems. Naturally a solution is also necessary for the people of Cyprus themselves.
Finally, I want to refer again to yesterday’s discussion. It has rightly been indicated that the enlargement of the Schengen area and the entire Schengen system requires mutual solidarity between the Member States. As I have already said, controlling the external borders is a task that affects all our security and in which the nine countries concerned are now involved. We will now speak to them about this.
That security and the need for cooperation are themselves potential future problems, as regards internal migration for example. We must also agree that we will not try to solve the problems unilaterally, but that we will seek to cooperate, with all the countries that belong to the Schengen area working together to solve the problems that arise in the future. As I said, we must ensure that what is currently happening in Italy does not happen, i.e. that one country tries to solve on its own what is in fact a shared problem."@en1
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