Differences over Schengen Information System should not undermine genuine free movement

12.00.00am GMT Tue 5th Dec 2006

European Liberal Democrats welcome today's decision of EU's Interior Ministers to extend the present Schengen Information System (SIS), the SISone4all, to the new Member States. However, that should not be done at the expense of the new SIS II which must remain the absolute priority.

"The setbacks affecting the introduction of the new generation information system are pushing further and further away a Europe of genuine free movement. I am concerned that the SIS II project might face additional delays because of resources being shifted to an interim solution. We should be wary that this twin-track approach does not become part of the problem rather than part of the solution," said European Liberal Democrat Leader Graham Watson.

"It is good news that the internal borders between the new and old Member States can be abolished already next year, as was originally promised. Free movement is one of the most fundamental principles of the Union. The reliability of the Union would have been questioned if the citizens had been forced to wait for the Schengen enlargement. However, introducing simultaneously two different data systems is not the best solution. If this requires substantial new resources and a totally new timetable for SIS II, then the introduction of SIS II should be our priority. The earmarked budget for SIS II must not be used for the interim solution", said Henrik Lax (ALDE shadow on SIS II).

As the European Parliament did everything possible to ensure an agreement of the SIS II in first reading last October in order to prevent delays in the extension of the Schengen area, responsibility for further postponement of the process will now lie with the Member States and the European Commission.