Martin Pecina: Today we have decided future directions for SIS

On 4 June 2009, the Justice and Home Affairs Council met in Luxembourg for the last time under the Czech Presidency. The meeting was chaired by Czech Interior Minister Martin Pecina.

“I am pleased to announce that today we have reached agreement on a number of very challenging issues. We have taken decisions about the future of the SIS and adopted conclusions on the exchange of information concerning the reception of persons released from the Guantánamo Bay detention centre. We also discussed illegal immigration in the Mediterranean, the first asylum package and the European Asylum Support Office”, said Minister Pecina.

Schengen Information System II (SIS II):

“Bringing the Schengen Information System II out of its crisis was one of the principal priorities of the Czech Presidency. Today’s meeting showed that we have met this objective and decided about the future directions of the project. We have managed to accomplish the plan that we presented in mid-January and were implementing over the past four months”, said the Interior Minister. At their Thursday meeting the Ministers gave the green light to the continuation of the SIS II project, on condition that a number of changes are made to reflect the lessons that we have so far learned from the development of the project. The solution also includes a contingency plan which boosts the chances for the completion of the SIS II project. There will be two milestones marking stages at which the project has to prove that it meets the criteria required. If the project does not pass these tests, there are mechanisms that will make it possible for the current SIS II to be terminated and for the SIS II project to be developed further on the basis of an alternative technical scenario that consists in an overhaul and subsequent development of the current SIS I.

Guantánamo:

On Thursday the Ministers also adopted conclusions on the closure of the Guantánamo Bay detention centre, thus rounding off six months of discussions and search for a common solution. The conclusions describe the cooperation and exchange of information between EU Member States and members of the Schengen Area in relation to the reception of persons released from Guantánamo. The decision to accept former detainees falls within the remit of each EU Member State, nevertheless, taking account of the Schengen Area, also concerns the other Member States. This is why sharing information and working together is necessary. The Czech Presidency welcomes the decision of the USA to close the Guantánamo prison and underlines the fact that the primary responsibility for finding solutions to this problem and for the placement of the persons released lies above all with the United States. The conclusions do not call on EU Member States to accept persons from Guantánamo but provide a framework for joint coordination and cooperation in case that a Member State decides to take this step.

The exchange of information between the EU Member States will be in full conformity with the applicable law, including rules for the protection of personal data, and in full respect of the fundamental human rights and freedoms. The aim of the conclusions is to provide a common framework for sharing information about the reception of persons in order to ensure security for EU citizens as well as the persons received within the whole of the EU and the Schengen Area, thus dispelling the concerns of a part of the public.

Illegal immigration in the Mediterranean:

”Illegal immigration in the Mediterranean is a big challenge, since the immigrants risk their lives in their attempts to reach European territory. I believe that we may all agree that the situation in the Mediterranean is serious and that losses of lives are unacceptable. As far as further steps are concerned, I fully understand the importance and seriousness of the issues discussed and I am confident that the results of today’s meeting will be reflected in the conclusions of the European Council”, Minister Pecina added.

The first asylum package and EASO (European Asylum Support Office):

The Czech Presidency today informed about the state of the negotiations of individual proposals in the first asylum package, the regulation to establish a European Asylum Support Office including the proposal to amend the decision concerning the European Refugee Fund. The Member States presented their positions on the proposals in general, as well as on the remaining problems in individual proposals, i.e. the entry of asylum seekers on the labour market, detention, temporary suspension of Dublin transfers, remedies against a transfer decision. The work on asylum legislation will continue, today’s discussion was an important guideline for further negotiations on lower working levels in seeking a compromise wording of the first asylum package or the proposal to establish the European Asylum Support Office.