Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Schengen governance: strengthening the area without internal border control

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details (2011) 561 final (16.9.11)
Publication Date 16/09/2011
Content Type

The Schengen area is based on a body of rules (the Schengen acquis) which encompasses not only the abolition of border control at internal borders and common rules on the control of external borders but also a common visa policy, police and judicial cooperation, common rules on the return of irregular migrants and the establishment of common data-bases such as the Schengen Information System (SIS).

The European Council of 23-24 June 2011 called for a mechanism to be 'introduced in order to respond to exceptional circumstances putting the overall functioning of Schengen cooperation at risk, without jeopardising the principle of free movement of persons'. The Commission was invited to submit a proposal to this end in September 2011.

This Communication and the accompanying legislative proposals respond to that request as well as to the call from the Justice and Home Affairs Council in June for enhanced political guidance on Schengen cooperation and to the European Parliament’s resolution in July which required that any new mechanism should focus on enhancing the freedom of movement and reinforcing EU governance of the Schengen area.

Related proposals:

- Amended proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of an evaluation and monitoring mechanism to verify the application of the Schengen acquis

- Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 562/2006 in order to provide for common rules on the temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders in exceptional circumstances

Source Link http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0561:FIN:EN:PDF
Related Links
EUR-Lex: COM(2011)561: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2011:561:FIN
European Commission: COM(2011)559: Amended proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of an evaluation and monitoring mechanism to verify the application of the Schengen acquis http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0559:FIN:EN:PDF
European Commission: COM(2011)560: Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 562/2006 in order to provide for common rules on the temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders in exceptional circumstances http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0560:FIN:EN:PDF

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