France seeks change to Schengen agreement

France has called for an easier mechanism to temporarily suspend an agreement which allows freedom of movement across 25 European countries, BBC reports.

Izvor: BBC

Saturday, 23.04.2011.

11:47

Default images

France has called for an easier mechanism to temporarily suspend an agreement which allows freedom of movement across 25 European countries, BBC reports. The move follows an influx of migrants from Tunisia and Libya into Italy. France seeks change to Schengen agreement Italy's decision to grant Tunisians 20,000 temporary residence permits, allowing free travel in the passport-free Schengen zone, has angered France. Last week, French officials temporarily stopped trains with migrants crossing the border from Italy into France. The decision sparked anger between Italy and France, with Italy accusing its neighbor of overstepping the treaty on border-free travel. In an off-the-record but widely-reported briefing, a senior French official said: "The governance of Schengen is failing. It seems there is a need to reflect on a mechanism that will allow a temporary suspension of the agreement, in case of a systemic failure of an external (EU) border." The official, at the presidential Elysee Palace, said that any such an intervention would be provisional, until any "weakness" in the system was corrected. The BBC's Hugh Schofield, in Paris, says that this is a highly controversial idea, deliberately floated by the French government just before the Easter break when any reaction from Brussels will inevitably be slow in coming. Suspension of the agreement is permitted under the Schengen Pact, but only in the case of a "grave threat to the public order or internal security". Under the current agreement, in these exceptional circumstances, border controls can only initially be reintroduced for a maximum of 30 days. Sarkozy is due to address the problem of migrants entering France through Italy when he meets Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Tuesday in Rome. Earlier this month, Italy and France agreed to launch sea and air patrols to try to prevent the influx of thousands of people from Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Many Tunisians have close ties with France - a former colonial power - with friends and relatives in French cities. Immigrants arrive at Italy's Lampedusa (Beta/AP)

France seeks change to Schengen agreement

Italy's decision to grant Tunisians 20,000 temporary residence permits, allowing free travel in the passport-free Schengen zone, has angered France.

Last week, French officials temporarily stopped trains with migrants crossing the border from Italy into France.

The decision sparked anger between Italy and France, with Italy accusing its neighbor of overstepping the treaty on border-free travel.

In an off-the-record but widely-reported briefing, a senior French official said: "The governance of Schengen is failing. It seems there is a need to reflect on a mechanism that will allow a temporary suspension of the agreement, in case of a systemic failure of an external (EU) border."

The official, at the presidential Elysee Palace, said that any such an intervention would be provisional, until any "weakness" in the system was corrected.

The BBC's Hugh Schofield, in Paris, says that this is a highly controversial idea, deliberately floated by the French government just before the Easter break when any reaction from Brussels will inevitably be slow in coming.

Suspension of the agreement is permitted under the Schengen Pact, but only in the case of a "grave threat to the public order or internal security".

Under the current agreement, in these exceptional circumstances, border controls can only initially be reintroduced for a maximum of 30 days.

Sarkozy is due to address the problem of migrants entering France through Italy when he meets Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Tuesday in Rome.

Earlier this month, Italy and France agreed to launch sea and air patrols to try to prevent the influx of thousands of people from Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

Many Tunisians have close ties with France - a former colonial power - with friends and relatives in French cities.

Komentari 4

Pogledaj komentare

4 Komentari

Možda vas zanima

Zapad zapretio, Kina uzvratila 9
Svet

Zapad zapretio, Kina uzvratila

Kina je usvojila zakon o carinama kojim želi da osnaži mehanizme odbrane svoje ekomonije nakon pretnji Sjedinjenih Američkih Država i Evropske unije da će reagovati na izvoz jeftinih kineskih proizvoda.

7:59

27.4.2024.

1 d

Podeli: