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I 
(Acts whose publication is obligatory) 
Council Regulation (EC) No 1988/2006 
of 21 December 2006 
amending Regulation (EC) No 2424/2001 on the 
development of the second generation Sc hengen Information System (SIS II) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Eu ropean Community, and in  particular Article 66 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament, 
Whereas: 
(1) Decision 2001/886/JHA of 6 December 2001 on the development of the second generation 
of the Schengen Information System (SIS II)1 and Regulation (EC) No 2424/20012 
constitute the required legislative basis to allow for the inclusion in the budget of the 
European Union of the necessary financial a ppropriations for the development of SIS II 
and the execution of that part of th e budget. Regulation (EC) No 2424/2001 and 
Decision 2001/886/JHA both expire on 31 December 2006. 
(2) The development of SIS II will take longer than  initially foreseen, requ iring the availability 
of financial appropriations beyond 31 December 2006. 
(3) It is therefore necessary to extend the period of validity of Regulation (EC) No 2424/2001 
so that the Commission can implement the budget after 2006 in order to complete the 
                                                 
1 OJ L 328, 13.12. 2001, p. 1. 
2 OJ L 328, 13.12. 2001, p. 4. 
L 411/2 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 
project for the development of SIS II, incl uding the establishmen t of the communication 
infrastructure. 
(4) Council Conclusions of 29 April 2004 state that for the development phase of SIS II the 
central unit of SIS II shall be located in France and the back- up central unit shall be located 
in Austria subject to certain arrangements that  will be necessary before the sites become 
operational. Operational management and res ponsibility for liaison with the Commission 
for the sites shall be th e responsibility of France and Austria respectively. 
(5) It is also necessary to co nfer on the Commission the responsi bility for the preparation of 
technical integration into SIS II, in particular  of the Member States which have acceded to 
the European Union in 2004. 
(6) Regulation (EC) No 2424/2001 shoul d, therefore, be amended accordingly. 
(7) This Regulation is without prejudice to the a doption in the future of legislative instruments 
for the establishment, operation and use of SIS II. 
(8) In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Protocol on the position of Denmark annexed to 
the Treaty on European Union and the Tr eaty establishing the European Community, 
Denmark does not take part in the adoption of this Regulation and is not bound by it or 
subject to its application. Given that this Regulation builds upon the Schengen acquis 
under the provisions of Title IV of Part Thr ee of the Treaty establishing the European 
Community, Denmark shall, in accordance with Article 5 of the said Protocol, decide, 
within a period of six months after the adoption of th is Regulation, whether it will 
implement it in its national law. 
(9) This Regulation and the United Kingdom's participation in its adoption and application are 
without prejudice to the arrangem ents for the United Kingdom's partial participation in the 
Schengen acquis defined by the Council Decision 2000/365/EC of 29 May 2000 
concerning the request of the United Kingdom of Great Britai n and Northern Ireland to 
take part in some of the pr ovisions of the Schengen acquis1. 
(10) Ireland is taking part in the adoption of this Regulation in ac cordance with Article 5 of the 
Protocol integrating the Sc hengen acquis into the framework of the European Union 
annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European 
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Community, and Articles 5(1) and 6(2)  of Council Decision 2002/192/EC of 
28 February 2002 concerning Ireland's request to take part in so me of the provisions of the 
Schengen acquis2. 
(11) As regards Iceland and Norway, this Regulat ion constitutes a devel opment of provisions of 
the Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement concluded by the Council of the 
European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the 
association of those two States with the implementation, a pplication and development of 
the Schengen acquis3, which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, point G of Council 
Decision 1999/437/EC of 17 May 1999 on certain arrangements for the application of that Agreement
4. 
(12) As regards Switzerland, this Regulation cons titutes a development of  the provisions of the 
Schengen acquis within the meaning of th e Agreement signed between the European 
Union, the European Community and the Swi ss Confederation concerning the association 
of the Swiss Confederation w ith the implementation, application and development of the 
Schengen acquis, which fall within the area refe rred to in Article 1, point G of Council 
Decision 1999/437/EC read in conjunc tion with Article 4(1) of Council 
Decision 2004/860/EC on the sign ing, on behalf of the European Community and on the 
provisional application of certain  provisions of that Agreement5, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
                                                                                                                                                                  
1 OJ L 131, 1.6. 2000, p. 43. 
2 OJ L 64, 7.3. 2002, p. 20. 
3 OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 31. 
4 OJ L 176, 10.7. 1999, p. 31. 
5 OJ L 370, 17.12.2004, p. 78. 
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Article 1 
Regulation (EC) No 2424/2001 is  hereby amended as follows: 
1) the following sentence sh all be added to Article 2: 
"The development comprises the preparati on of technical integr ation into SIS II, 
in particular of the Member States which ha ve acceded to the European Union in 2004."; 
2) the following Article shall be inserted: 
"Article 4A 
1. Without prejudice to the Commission's res ponsibility for the development of SIS II, 
the central unit of SIS II shall be located in Strasbourg (Franc e) and the back-up 
central unit in Sankt Johann im Pongau (A ustria) during the development of the 
system. 
2. France and Austria shall provi de the appropriate infrastruc ture and means to host the 
central unit and the back-up central unit of SIS II resp ectively during the 
development of the system. 
3. The national authority providing for the in frastructure and means referred to in 
paragraph 2 may receive a Community grant for the preparation and maintenance of 
the site or for providing other services  necessary for hosting SIS II during its 
development."; 
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3) in Article 7, the second subparagrap h shall be replaced by the following: 
"It shall expire on 31 December 2008.". 
Article 2 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official 
Journal of the European Union . 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in the Member States in 
accordance with the Treaty establishing the European Community. 
Done at Brussels, 21 December 2006. 
 For the Council 
 The President 
     J. KORKEAOJA