Schengen: New date set for SIS
01 July 1994
The Executive Committee of the Schengen Agreement meeting in Berlin on 27 June agreed yet another "new" start date (the fifth) of October for the abolition of border controls on people. The operation of the Schengen Information System (SIS, a computerised database with information on asylum-seekers, immigrants, undesirable persons and police files) is now set for September (see Statewatch vol 4 no 3). The SIS will initially have data on 1 million people and data on false passports, car thefts and arms traffic.
Mr Schmidbauer, the German Chancellory State Secretary, said it would become operational in at least five of the nine Schengen member countries - Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg - and barring unexpected difficulties in Spain and Portugal too. The other two members, Italy and Greece, were still encountering technical difficulties
The meeting also agreed that Austria - which joins the EU in January 1995 - could have observer status and that cooperation with Switzerland would be stepped up. Denmark's request for observer status was not expected to present any problems and negotiations were underway. However, requests by the UK and Ireland to have access to the SIS without joining the Schengen Agreement was left on the table - both countries holding the view that border controls must be maintained.
Agence Europe 27.6.94.