Statewatch News Online: European Commission programme for 2011: Selected proposals - Home Affairs (Internal security and immigration)
28 March 2012
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European Commission programme
for 2011: Selected proposals
- Home Affairs (Internal security and immigration) 
The Commission
has published its Work Programme for 2011. Below are selected
initiatives - together with background sources. Text in italics
from Commission programme.
Initiatives on Smart Borders Roadmap
(pdf)
- Legislative proposal to set up an Entry/Exit System (EES)
Roadmap (pdf),
Commission
Communication, 2008 (pdf), European
Parliament study (pdf)
- Legislative proposal to set up a Registered Traveller Programme
(RTP) Roadmap (pdf)
- Legislative proposal amending the Schengen Borders Code
See also: New
tools for an integrated European Border Management Strategy
(pdf) and
Statewatch: EU:
The surveillance of travel where everyone is a suspect
(pdf)
Legislative/ Non legislative
"The aim is to protect the security of our borders, whilst ensuring that Europe remains accessible to frequent travellers by using modern technologies in border management. The EES would generate information that would help identify and apprehend irregular immigrants (especially overstayers), thereby deterring irregular immigration. It would also contribute to maintaining a high level of security by generating information that would help prevent terrorism and serious criminal activity and allowing the apprehension of terrorist and criminal suspects.
The RTP, on the other
hand, would facilitate the crossing of EU external borders for
frequent, pre-screened and pre-vetted third country travellers,
while ensuring overall coherence of EU border policy. Together,
the EES and RTP would therefore further develop."
Communication the possibility of introducing an EU ESTA (EU electronic system for travel authorisation) Roadmap (pdf) Commission: The U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) (December, 2008, pdf)
"An integrated border management by allowing persons who have a right to enter the EU to do so in a simpler and faster way, while at the same time constituting essential tools in the fight against irregular migration and security threats.
The Schengen Borders
Code will need to be amended to take account of the technical
changes that will result from the proposals for an EES and RTP.
Following the introduction by the US and Australia of an ESTA
(electronic system for travel authorisation), the Communication
will examine whether the EU should also introduce such an ESTA,
in the context of its integrated border management and as a complement
to its present visa policy."
Directive on the use of Passenger Name Records for law enforcement purposes (European PNR) Roadmap (pdf)
See also Statewatch's Observatory: EU surveillance of passengers (PNR)
Legislative
"Reformatting
of the proposal for an EU PNR Framework Decision following the
entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.
The proposal provides that air carriers will be required to make
available PNR data of their passengers to the Member States law
enforcement authorities."
Communication on enhanced intra-EU solidarity Roadmap (pdf)
Non-legislative
"The Communication will aim to create a coherent and comprehensive framework for better sharing responsibility for asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection across the EU."
European Terrorist Financing Tracking Programme (European TFTP) Roadmap (pdf)
See Statewatch Observatory: "Terrorist lists" monitoring proscription, designation and asset-freezing
Legislative
"The EU-US Terrorist Financing Tracking Programme (TFTP) agreement holds out the longer-term prospective of the establishment within the EU of an EU system equivalent to the TFTP, implying a more targeted transfer of data in the future and allowing for the extraction of data to take place on EU soil. Article 2 of the Council Decision on the conclusion of the EU-US agreement invites the Commission to submit no later than 1 August 2011 a legal and technical framework for the extraction of data on EU territory."
Legislative proposal on the establishment of a European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) Roadmap (pdf) Commission Staff Working Paper (2009,pdf), Commission: Examining the creation of a European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) (2008, pdf) and Commission Inter-Service consultation (2008, pdf)
Legislative
"The aim of EUROSUR is to reinforce the control of the Schengen external border, especially the southern maritime and eastern land borders. EUROSUR will establish a mechanism for Member States' authorities carrying out border surveillance activities (border guards, coast guards, police, customs, and navies) to share operational information and to cooperate with each other and with FRONTEX in order to reduce the loss of lives at sea and the number of irregular immigrants entering the EU undetected, and to increase internal security by preventing cross-border crime such as terrorism, trafficking in human beings, smuggling of weapons and drugs, etc. Hence, for the purposes of establishing the technical and operational framework of EUROSUR, the legislative proposal will focus on the tasks and functions of national coordination centres, the setting up of a decentralised communication network and will provide common rules for the exchange of information between national coordination centres and with FRONTEX."
Communication on the evaluation and future development of the Global Approach to Migration Roadmap (pdf)
See Statewatch Observatory on Immigration and asylum in the EU
Non-legislative
"As foreseen in the Stockholm programme, and based on the evaluation of the work done so far, this Communication will contribute to the further development and consolidation of the global approach to migration. It will be elaborated according to a broad participative process, associating all relevant stakeholders, and will promote increased coordination, coherence and synergies, as well as a more strategic and evidence based use of the global approach instruments. The Communication will be accompanied by three staff working documents which will explore the effects of climate change on migration,the connection between migration and development and labour shortages."
Proposal for a review of Directive 2006/24/EC (Data Retention) Roadmap (pdf)
See Statewatch's Observatory on The surveillance of telecommunications in the EU
Legislative
"Following an evaluation of the existing Data Retention Directive and recent judgments of MS constitutional courts, a review of the Directive is aimed at better matching data retention obligations with law enforcement needs, protection of personal data (right to privacy) and impacts on the functioning of the internal market (distortions)."
Regulation establishing a procedure for the freezing of funds of persons suspected of terrorist activities inside the EU Roadmap (pdf)
See Statewatch Observatory: "Terrorist lists" monitoring proscription, designation and asset-freezing
Legislative
"The existing pre-Lisbon asset freezing measures against specified persons and groups to prevent and combat terrorism contain a gap in that, due to lack of legal base, they do not allow the listing of persons suspected of terrorist activities in the EU. To close this gap, the Lisbon Treaty has added a new legal base (Art. 75 TFEU) on the basis of which a complementary listing procedure for internal terrorists needs to be developed."
EU Immigration Code Roadmap (pdf)
"Consolidation of all legislation in the area of immigration, starting with legal migration, and where necessary extending the existing provisions foreseen by the Stockholm Programme."
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