EN Official Journal of the European Union L 179/46

COUNCIL DECISION

of 12 June 2007

on the application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the Schengen Information System in the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic

(2007/471/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Act concerning the conditions of Accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded, (hereinafter the 2003 Act of Accession), and in particular Article 3(2) thereof,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Whereas:

(1) Article 3(2) of the 2003 Act of Accession provides that the provisions of the Schengen acquis other than those mentioned in Annex I to the said Act shall only apply in a new Member State within the meaning of that instrument pursuant to a Council Decision to that effect after verification that the necessary conditions for the application of that acquis have been met.

(2) The Council has verified whether the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic (hereinafter the Member States concerned) ensure satisfactory levels of data protection through the following steps: A full questionnaire was forwarded to the Member States concerned, whose replies were recorded, and verification and evaluation visits were made to all the Member States concerned, in accordance with the applicable Schengen evaluation procedures as set out in the Decision of the Executive Committee setting up a Standing Committee on the evaluation and implementation of Schengen (SCH/Com-ex (98) 26 def.) (1), in the area of Data Protection.

(3) On 5 December 2006, the Council concluded that the conditions in this area had been fulfilled by the Czech Republic, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Slovenia. On 11 June 2007, the Council concluded that the conditions in this area had been fulfilled by the Republic of Estonia and by the Slovak Republic. It is therefore possible to set a date from which the Schengen acquis relating to the Schengen Information System (SIS) may apply in those Member States.

(4) The entry into force of this Decision should allow for real SIS data to be transferred to the Member States concerned. The concrete use of this data should allow the Council, through the applicable Schengen evaluation procedures as set out in SCH/Com-ex (98) 26 def., to verify the correct application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the SIS in the Member States concerned. Once these evaluations have been carried out, the Council should decide on the lifting of checks at the internal borders with the Member States concerned.

(5) A separate Council Decision should be taken setting a date for the lifting of checks at internal borders. Until the date of the lifting of checks set out in that Decision, certain restrictions on the use of the SIS should be imposed.

(6) As regards Iceland and Norway, this Decision constitutes a development 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, application and development of the Schengen acquis (2) which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, point G, of Decision 1999/437/EC (3) on certain arrangements for the application of that Agreement,.

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

1. The provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the SIS, as referred to in Annex I, shall apply to the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic amongst themselves and in their relations with the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the Republic of France, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden as well as the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway from 1 September 2007.

2. The provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the SIS, as referred to in Annex II, shall apply to the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic amongst themselves and in their relations with the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the Republic of France, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden as well as the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway from the date foreseen in those provisions.

3. From 7 July 2007 real SIS data may be transferred to the Member States concerned.

From 1 September 2007, the Member States concerned, like the Member States in respect of which the Schengen acquis has already been implemented, will be able to enter data into the SIS and use SIS data, subject to the provisions of paragraph 4.

4. Until the date of the lifting of checks at internal borders with the Member States concerned, those Member States:

(a) shall not be obliged to refuse entry to their territory or to expel nationals of third States for whom an SIS alert has been issued by another Member State for the purposes of refusing entry;

(b) shall refrain from entering the data covered by the provisions of Article 96 of the Convention of 19 June 1990 implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 between the Governments of the States of Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders (hereinafter Schengen Convention) (4).

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Luxembourg, 12 June 2007. For the Council The President W. SCHÄUBLE

(1) OJ L 239, 22.9.2000, p. 138.

(2) OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 36.

(3) OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 31.

(4) OJ L 239, 22.9.2000, p. 19. Convention as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 381, 28.12.2006, p. 4).