Activities of Cecilia WIKSTRÖM related to 2017/2256(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Annual Report on the functioning of the Schengen area (debate) SV
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the annual report on the functioning of the Schengen area PDF (317 KB) DOC (68 KB)
Amendments (19)
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. NotWelcomes the effectiveness of the measures taken at the external borders and the creation of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency; notes the efforts of the Agency in implementing the new regulation, especially through joint operations in the field of border surveillance and return, and by supporting the Member States particularly affected by migratory pressure; sees the importance of the newly introduced vulnerability assessment mechanism in uncovering weaknesses at the common external borders and preventing crises; emphasises the concerted efforts and cooperation between agencies and other stakeholders in organising the ‘Hotspot’ approach;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. NotWelcomes the steps taken through the amendment of the Schengen Borders Code and introduction of mandatory systematic register checks at entry and exit points for third-country nationals and for EU nationals, while remaining vigilant about the effects these requirements have on the border crossings of EU nationals;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers cooperation with third countries, in particular in the context of development policy, trade, access to regular labour migration and readmission agreements, as onsome of the most essential elements in finding the solution to irregular migration;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the ongoing reform of the SIS and the establishment of other large-scale information systems, such as SEA, ECRIS-TCN and ETIAS, as well as the objective of improving their interoperability while preserving the necessary safeguards, namely with regard to data protection and privacy;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Considers that the work on proposals for interoperablity of information systems should be taken as an opportunity to improve and partially harmonise national IT systems and national infrastructure at border crossing points;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. NotWelcomes the work done in the field of cross-border police and judicial cooperation and cooperation between law enforcement cooperationagencies, and the work of Eurojust and EUROPOL, in particular the European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) and the European Migrant Smuggling Centre, to counter organised crime, trafficking in human beings and terrorism through intelligence, information exchange and joint investigations;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the Commission’s efforts to elaborate the European Integrated Border Management (IBM) concept and strategy on the basis of the provisions in the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that the current state of Schengen and the issues it has encountered are not due to problems in the structure and construction of Schengen itself but rather to the connected fields of the acquis, such as shortcomings in the area of the Common European Asylum System, including the Dublin Regulation, and controlmanagement of the external borders;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Expresses great concern regarding the implementation of the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation ((EU) 2016/1624) and underlines the need for Member States to comply with the requirements stipulated in the regulation, in particular regarding the commitments to contribute sufficient human resources and technical equipment both to joint operations and the rapid reaction equipment pool;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Condemns the continued reintroduction of internal border checks as this undermines the basic principles of the Schengen area, and expresses doubts about the lawfulness, proportionality and necessity of some prolongations of controls; is also of the opinion that Member States have not taken the proper measures to ensure cooperation with other affected Member States to minimise the effects of these measures, nor have they provided enough information on the results of such controls, therefore hindering the analysis by the Commission and scrutiny by Parliament; considers the economic, political and social impacts of this practice to be detrimental to the unity of the Schengen area and harmful to the prosperity of European citizens; recalls that Member States have other tools available, namely targeted police controls, as recommended by the Commission;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 13 – point 1 (new)
(1) Underlines that a further prolongation of the existing -or the reintroduction of new- internal border controls would impose major economic costs to the EU as a whole by severely damaging the Single Market.
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses concern about the lack of implementation in some areas of the regulation governing certain fields of external border control, such as the systematic consultation of databases during border checks and the thorough checking of the required entry conditions; is also concerned about the occasional unavailability of certain databases such as the SIS and the VIS at certain border crossing points; notes that clear non- compliance in establishing National Coordination Centres in accordance with the European Border Surveillance System Regulation (EUROSUR) is prevalent in many Member States;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 20 – point 1 (new)
(1) Stresses that in order to ensure a common effective management of the EU’s external borders and strengthen the Schengen area as a whole, EU Member States that fulfil all necessary conditions for full accession, namely Bulgaria and Romania, should become full Schengen members without further delay.
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Stresses the need to improve the security of identity cards provided by the Member States to EU citizens; calls on the Commission to propose standards for the security and biometric features incorporated in identity cards, as is already the case with passports;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls on the Member States to boost the cooperation and the exchange of information between their intelligence services; in the short term, would like to see the creation of a European intelligence service.
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Member States to ensure swift return procedures, under humane and dignified conditions, once a return decision has been issued; calls on the Member States to use the opportunity offered by Directive 2001/40/EC to acknowledge and implement a return decision taken by another Member State rather than making a new return decision or sending an irregular migrant back to the first issuing Member State; calls on the Member States to take specific steps to ensure adequate infrastructure, accommodation and living conditions for arriving asylum seekers, especially taking into consideration the needs of unaccompanied minors and families with minors; calls on the Member States to bring their detention facilities into line with the requirements so as to meet capacity demand, and to increase the use of alternative measures to detention;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Member States to ensure swift return procedures, with full respect of fundamental rights, once a return decision has been issued; calls on the Member States to take specific steps to ensure adequate infrastructure, accommodation and living conditions for arriving asylum seekers, especially taking into consideration the needs of unaccompanied minors and families with minors; calls on the Member States to bring their detention facilities into line with the requirements so as to meet capacity demand, and to increase the use of alternative measures to detention; calls on the Members States to honour their resettlement commitments, as agreed by the European Council in September 2015 and reconfirmed by the European Court of Justice in September2017, in order to restore order to the management of migration and foster solidarity and cooperation within the EU.
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Calls on the Commission to adopt a legislative proposal to include, in a common European repository, documents for long-stay visas, residence permits and permits allowing passage to a border in order to facilitate controls at external borders and improve the authentication of documents;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Stresses the importance of reforming and adapting the SIS to face new challenges swiftly, namely regarding the protection of missing children who are at risk or missing, the immediate, obligatory exchange of information on terrorism and the mandatory exchange of information on return decisions; highlights the anticipated substantial increase in the activity of the Supplementary Information Request at the National Entry (SIRENE) Bureau and calls on Member States to reinforce the means at its disposal by ensuring that it has adequate financial and human resources to carry out its new functions;