No C 197/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 31.7.82 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Draft Council resolution on the easing of the formalities relating to checks on citizens of 
Member States at the Community's internal frontiers 
(Communication from the Commission to the Council on 9 July 1982) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, 
Having regard to the draft resolution submitted by 
the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament dated ..., 
Recalling: 
— that the Heads of State and of Government, 
meeting in Paris on 9 and 10 December 1974, 
requested that the possibility of establishing a 
passport union be examined; 
— that the Commission transmitted to the Council 
on 3 July 1975 a report on the means of attaining 
that objective in which a passport union is defined 
and the measures proposed include 'the abolition 
of passport control within the Community' ('); 
— that the report transmitted by Mr Tindemans on 
29 December 1975 to the European Council 
argued for 'the gradual disappearance of frontier 
controls on persons moving between member 
countries, as a corollary of a passport union' (2); 
— that the European Council, meeting in Maastricht 
on 23 and 24 March 1981, expressed satisfaction 
at the considerable progress which had been 
achieved on the introduction of a European 
passport; 
— that the representatives of the Governments of the 
Member States of the European Communities, 
meeting within the Council, resolved, in a 
resolution of 23 June 1981 (J), that the Member 
States would endeavour to issue by 1 January 
1985 at the latest a passport of uniform design, 
conceived as a first step towards a passport union; 
(') Towards European Citizenship Supplement 7/75 to the 
Bulletin of the EC, point 2.3, pp. 10 and 12. 
(2) European Union, Supplement 1/76 to the Bulletin of the 
EC, point II.B.l, pp. 28 to 30. 
(J) OJ No C 241, 19. 9. 1981, pp. 1 to 7. — that the European Parliament has repeatedly 
called for checks on private individuals at the 
Community's internal frontiers to be reduced, 
most recently in a resolution of 15 October 
1981 (4) in which it 'calls on the Council and 
Commission to ensure the free movement of 
citizens without hindrance by abolishing police 
controls at frontiers'; 
Anxious to make steady progress towards a passport 
union based on the uniform passport which would 
give all citizens of the Member States a sense of 
belonging to one and the same Community; 
Convinced that the Community must be of greater 
concern to citizens in their day-to-day life in such a 
way that they have tangible experience of its positive 
effects; 
Considering that freedom of movement within the 
Community must become easier if the internal market 
is to become fully operative, and that in this context 
checks on private individuals at the Community's 
internal frontiers should be reduced to the barest 
minimum; 
Aware that the abolition of all checks at internal 
frontiers, which is the aim of the passport union, 
would mean that certain problems inherent in the 
creation of such a union must be resolved at the same 
time; 
Convinced that gradual but decisive measures to 
reduce checks on citizens of Member States must 
nevertheless be introduced forthwith at the 
Community's internal frontiers in order to facilitate 
the eventual abolition of all checks on private 
individuals within the Community; 
Has resolved that the Member States, independently 
of their obligations under the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community and under the 
provisions adopted to implement it, will undertake by 
31 December 1984 at the latest: 
(4) OJ No C 287, 9. 11. 1981, pp. 93 and 94. 
31.7.82 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 197/7 
1. To reduce the checks on citizens of Member States 
at the Community's internal frontiers by relaxing 
the formalities and speeding up procedures, while 
maintaining the present arrangements at the 
Community's external frontiers; 
2. (a) to instruct the frontier police to discontinue 
the practice of carrying out systematic checks, 
irrespective of the mode of transport used 
(road, rail, sea, inland waterway or air), as 
soon as citizenship of a Member State has 
been established and to make spot checks only, 
while maintaining the possibility of carrying 
out the customary checks where they are 
justified for security reasons; 
(b) to consider that, in principle, proof of 
citizenship of a Member State may be supplied 
either by presenting a uniform passport, given 
that its standard external format will 
immediately identify the holder as a citizen of 
a Member State, or by presenting an identity 
card; 3. To ease the formalities in this way at small frontier 
posts and in respect of the local movement of 
persons resident in frontier zones; 
4. To establish, at frontier posts in airports and ports, 
general channels for citizens of Member States, in 
sufficient number to ensure that no more time is 
required to pass through them than through other 
check-points; 
5. To request the Commission to investigate other 
practical possibilities for further reducing the 
checks on citizens of the Member States at the 
Community's internal frontiers; 
6. To report to the Commission at the beginning of 
1985, and every two years thereafter, on the 
manner in which the checks have in fact been 
reduced, so that a study can be made of ways of 
entirely abolishing all checks on persons at the 
Community's internal frontiers, this being the 
object of the passport union.