New and enhanced tools to secure our borders

The Schengen area is the largest free travel area in the world. It allows more than 400 million EU citizens, as well as visitors, to move freely and goods and services to flow without obstruction. Schengen is one of the major achievements of European integration and we are fully committed to safeguarding and preserving the free movement of people. The lack of internal border controls is the very essence of Schengen. This is the reason behind the EPP Group’s strong role in pushing forward a number of tools and initiatives to protect and secure the Union’s external borders. Secure borders mean a safe Schengen.

We believe that EU citizens should be able to move freely, without obstruction, between one Member State and another. And they should do this feeling safe. However, safety cannot be guaranteed if authorities do not implement the tools negotiated and agreed upon at European level. We want and are working for a safe Europe, a Union which protects its borders and fights against terrorism and cross-border crime. For the EPP Group, the security of Europeans comes first and this was our guiding principle throughout the negotiations on all related legislative files. We are glad that during this parliamentary term, we led a number of important reforms which have led to a much safer Europe, addressing one of the main concerns across Europe.

Different tools with one aim: security

Throughout this legislature, the EPP Group led a number of legislatives files which saw the introduction of new tools and frameworks with the aim of further enhancing the security of the Union’s borders:

• EU Passenger Name Record system: allowing authorities to identify individuals who fly in and out of Schengen and who might be involved in serious crime or terrorism;
• a new European Border and Coast Guard: human resources and equipment to assist Member States at their borders when in crisis, assisting Member States in returns;
• a revised Schengen Borders Code: systematic checks for all persons crossing the external borders;
• a revised Schengen Information System: effective information sharing between law enforcement agencies;
• a regenerated Visa Information System: visa applications are checked against other EU information systems to identify fraud and irregular migrants;
• the Entry-Exit System: controls at the external borders of third country nationals, crucial to identify persons who don’t have the right to stay in the EU and escaped criminals;
• European Travel Information and Authorisation System: authorisation for nationals of visafree countries before they arrive in the Schengen Area.

We stood against opposition from the Left in the European Parliament who opposed a number of reforms, trying to give the impression that new rules go against data protection of individuals. This is far from the truth. In fact, the EPP Group made sure that both new legislation and new tools are robust on security but also protect the fundamental rights of data protection.

What we want to do over the next 5 years

Whilst new tools put into place over the past months and years have led to more secure EU borders, the Union will continue to face new challenges and will therefore need innovative and sound solutions. In the coming years, the EPP Group will work to:

• ensure the better application of existing EU instruments and mechanisms which will be mainly done through the implementation of the reform of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency;
• make better use of the opportunities offered by IT systems and new technologies;
• enhance the interoperability mechanism between EU information systems on borders and visas, as well as on police and judicial cooperation, asylum and migration;
• accelerate the return of irregular migrants not in genuine need of international protection;
• continue putting migration at the top of the agenda of the European Parliament and other EU Institutions, insisting on concrete solutions so that we welcome those in genuine need of protection, while discouraging those trying to come to the EU illegally through policies of robust border management and effective returns;
• strengthen cooperation with third countries to make sure that migration flows are controlled before migrants arrive at the EU’s borders.

Europeans travel within the EU’s Member States for a number of reasons: holidays, work, cultural events, education, etc. This is what Schengen is all about: being free to travel without any restrictions. But to ensure this, we must make sure that Europe is a safe continent, and that all citizens can put their minds at rest that they and their families are safe. For the EPP Group, this has always been, is, and will always be a priority: a Europe that protects.