WRITTEN QUESTION E-0846/04 by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Communitarisation of Article 2 of the Schengen Convention.
Date: 2004-03-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, Schengen Agreement, administration of the Institutions, border control, interinstitutional relations (EU), principle of communitisation, protective clause

C 84 E/684

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

The conditions governing use of the traditional term ‘Reserva velha’ by third countries remain unchanged,
since that term was already listed in Annex III, Part A to Regulation (EC) No 753/2002.

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 753/2002 of 29 April 2002 laying down certain rules for applying Council
Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 as regards the description, designation, presentation and protection of certain wine
sector products, OJ L 118, 4.5.2002.

(2) Commission Regulation (EC) No 316/2004 of 20 February 2004 amending Commission Regulation (EC) No 753/
2002 of 29 April 2002 laying down certain rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 as regards
the description, designation, presentation and protection of certain wine sector products, OJ L 55, 24.2.2004.

(2004/C 84 E/0770)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0846/04

by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 March 2004)

Subject: Communitarisation of Article 2 of the Schengen Convention

According to the Commission’s Scoreboard to review progress on the creation of an area of ‘freedom,
security and justice’ in the European Union, a legislative proposal was to have been submitted by the end
of 2001 with a view to Communitarisation of Article 2 of the Schengen Convention (safeguard clause
allowing the temporary reintroduction of border controls). More than two years after the expiry of the
deadline, Parliament still has not had any proposal of this kind referred to it.

In the meantime, Member States have systematically used (cid:1) and abused (cid:1) this safeguard clause at the time
of European summits or other international meetings such as the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001. This
demonstrates (cid:1) if proof were called for (cid:1) the need for a Community approach to this question.

What are the reasons for the delay?

Will the Commission submit a proposal for Communitarising Article 2 of the Schengen Convention, and
when will it do so?

Can the Commission already indicate the general outlines of such a proposal?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(13 April 2004)

Despite the delay, the Commission is still convinced that Article 2 of the Schengen Convention should be
communitarised. For that reason, it announced in the most recent biannual update of its scoreboard to
review progress in creating an area of freedom, security and justice in the European Union that it would
incorporate such a procedure in the proposal for a regulation on the recasting of the common manual
which will be presented before the end of the first half of 2004 (1).

Preparatory work on this proposal with a view to drawing up a code on borders is not yet complete. The
Commission is, therefore, unable to give any details on the content of the proposal.

(1) COM(2003) 812 final.