2007/599/EC: Commission Decision of 27 August 2007 implementing Decision No 574/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the adoption of strategic guidelines for 2007 to 2013 (notified under document number C(2007) 3925)
Date: 2007-08-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU migration policy, EU visa policy, border control, external border of the EU, fund (EU), migratory movement

5.9.2007

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Official Journal of the European Union

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(Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory)

II

DECISIONS

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 27 August 2007

implementing Decision No 574/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards
the adoption of strategic guidelines for 2007 to 2013

(notified under document number C(2007) 3925)

(only the Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian,
Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish texts are
authentic)

(2007/599/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(3)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Decision No 574/2007/EC of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 23 May 2007 establishing the
External Borders Fund for the period 2007 to 2013 as part of
the General programme
and Management of
Migration Flows’ (1), and in particular Article 20 thereof,

‘Solidarity

Whereas

(4)

(1)

(2)

The Commission should lay down strategic guidelines
setting out a framework for the intervention of
the
Fund relating to the multi-annual programming period
2007 to 2013.

should define the priorities and,

in
The guidelines
of Decision No
accordance with Article
the specific priorities which allow the
574/2007/EC,
Member States not covered by the Cohesion Fund to
increase the co-financing of the Community contribution
to 75 % for projects co-financed by the Fund.

16(4)

establishing

In accordance with Article 2 of the Protocol on the
annexed to the Treaty on
position of Denmark,
the
European Union and the Treaty
European Community, Denmark is not bound by the
present Decision or subject
to its application. Given
that Decision No 574/2007/EC builds upon the
Schengen acquis under the provisions of Title IV of Part
European
Three
Community, Denmark shall, in accordance with Article
5 of the said Protocol, decide within a period of six
months after the date of adoption of
that Decision
whether it will implement it in its national law.

establishing

Treaty

the

the

of

Iceland

regards

As
and Norway, Decision No
574/2007/EC constitutes a development of provisions
of
the
the Schengen acquis within the meaning of
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 areas
referred to in Article 1, points A and B of Council
Decision 1999/437/EC of 17 May 1999 on certain
arrangements
the Agreement
the application of
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.

for

(1) OJ L 144, 6.6.2007, p. 22.

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

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(5)

(6)

(7)

by

the

the provisions of

regards Switzerland, Decision No 574/2007/EC
As
constitutes a development of
the
Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement
signed
European
European Union,
Community and the Swiss Confederation on the latter’s
association with the implementation, application and
development of the Schengen acquis which fall within
the Council
the areas referred to in Article 4(1) of
decision on the signing, on behalf of
the European
Community, and on the provisional application of
certain provisions of this Agreement.

the

a

of

development

the
This Decision constitutes
provisions of the Schengen acquis in which the United
Kingdom does not take part, in accordance with Council
Decision 2000/365/EC of 29 May 2000 concerning the
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
request of
Northern Ireland to take part in some of the provisions
of the Schengen acquis (1) and the subsequent Council
Decision 2004/926/EC of 22 December 2004 on the
putting into effect of parts of the Schengen acquis by
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland (2). The United Kingdom is therefore not bound
by it or subject to its application.

a

of

take part,

development

This Decision constitutes
the
provisions of the Schengen acquis in which Ireland does
not
in accordance with Council Decision
2002/192/EC of 28 February 2002 concerning Ireland’s
request to take part in some of the provisions of the
Schengen acquis (3). Ireland is therefore not bound by it
or subject to its application.

(8)

in this Decision are in
The measures provided for
accordance with
common
the
Committee ‘Solidarity and Management of Migration
Flows’
established by Article 56 of Decision No
574/2007/EC,

opinion

the

of

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The guidelines setting out the priorities and specific priorities
for the multi-annual programming for the period 2007 to 2013
are defined in the Annex.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium, the
Republic of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Federal Republic
of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic, the
Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, the Italian Republic, the
Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of
Lithuania, the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, the Republic of
Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Kingdom of the Neth-
erlands, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Poland, the
Portuguese Republic, Romania, the Republic of Slovenia, the
Slovak Republic,
the Kingdom of
the Republic of Finland,
Sweden.

Done at Brussels, 27 August 2007.

For the Commission

Franco FRATTINI
Vice-President

(1) OJ L 131, 1.6.2000, p. 43.
(2) OJ L 395, 31.12.2004, p. 70.
(3) OJ L 64, 7.3.2002, p. 20.

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ANNEX

For the objectives (a), (b) and (c) listed in Article 3 of Decision No 574/2007/EC, the strategic guidelines set out below are
to be seen in the context of the implementation of the European policy for the external borders management (1) as
designed in the Hague Programme (2). The guidelines shall in particular give effect to the priorities of the Community with
a view to the further gradual establishment of the common integrated border management system for external borders
and the strengthening of controls and surveillance of the external borders of the Member States.

For the objective (d) of Article 3 of Decision No 574/2007/EC, the guidelines shall
in particular give effect to the
priorities of the Community with a view to the further development of the common visa policy as, on the one hand, part
of a multi-layered system aimed at tackling illegal immigration by enhancing handling practices at local consular missions
on the one hand and facilitating legitimate travel on the other.

The support for the implementation of the Special Transit Scheme referred to in Article 6 of Decision No 574/2007/EC
shall be established in the framework of the multi-annual programme of the Republic of Lithuania in accordance with
these guidelines.

Member States should determine the most effective distribution of the financial resources allocated to them in accordance
with their needs. However, when preparing their draft multi-annual programmes for 2007 to 2013, Member States
should allocate the available Community resources under this Fund to at least three of the five priorities listed below.

The specific priorities listed below refer to national actions which either add to the value of common instruments and
tools for practitioners or have a direct impact on the capacity of other Member States or the Community as a whole to
secure the external borders.

Moreover, when drafting their multi-annual programmes, Member States are invited to take into account the synergies
with the work undertaken by the Frontex Agency on the control and surveillance of external borders.

PRIORITY 1: support for the further gradual establishment of the common integrated border management
system as regards the checks on persons at and the surveillance of the external borders.

This could involve investment in infrastructure, systems and equipment within the framework of the eligibility rules of the
Fund. These investments should aim in particular at ensuring convergence in information management in order to
facilitate decision making and information sharing between Member States and also at improving architecture and
processes for further enhancing border security, including provision of forgery detection equipment.

Within this priority, the Community contribution may be increased to 75 % for projects addressing the following specific
priorities:

(1) upgrading of the national communication systems to make them interoperable with other Member States;

(2) purchase and/or upgrading of operating equipment to control external borders which is interoperable with other

Member States and takes into account the results of the common integrated risk analysis;

(3) purchase and/or upgrading of operating equipment in order to increase the capacity of Member States to take part in

and/or contribute to operational cooperation between Member States as coordinated by the Frontex Agency.

(1) Within the context of this Decision external borders management only refers to control on persons.
(2) For the most recent documents on European policy in this field see in particular:

‘Global approach to migration: Priority actions
focusing on Africa and the Mediterranean’ adopted by the European Council on 15-16 December 2005 (Bull. 12-2005, points I.6. and
I.15-I.20.) and the Communication on reinforcing the management of the European Union’s southern maritime borders adopted by the
Commission on 30 November 2006 (COM(2006) 733 final).

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PRIORITY 2: support for the development and implementation of the national components of a European
Surveillance System for the external borders and of a permanent European Patrol Network at the southern
maritime borders of the EU Member States.

This could also include upgrading surveillance systems to locate and identify vehicles, boats and aircrafts correctly.

Within this priority, the Community contribution may be increased to 75 % for projects addressing the following specific
priorities:

(1) investments in establishing or upgrading a single national coordination centre, which coordinates 24/7 the activities
of all national authorities carrying out external border control tasks (detection, identification, and intervention) and
which is able to exchange information with the national coordination centres in other Member States;

(2) investments in establishing or upgrading a single national surveillance system, which covers all or selected parts of the
external border and enables the dissemination of information 24/7 between all authorities involved in external border
control;

(3) purchase and/or upgrading of equipment for detection, identification and intervention at the borders (e.g. vehicles,
vessels, aircraft, helicopters, sensors, cameras, etc.), provided the need for this equipment has been clearly identified at
European level.

PRIORITY 3: support for the issuing of visas and the tackling of illegal immigration, including the detection of
false or falsified documents by enhancing the activities organised by the consular and other services of the
Member States in third countries.

Within this priority, the Community contribution may be increased to 75 % for projects addressing the following specific
priorities:

(1) promotion of systematic and regular cooperation between the consular services of Member States and between the

consular and other services of different Member States in the visa field;

(2) initiatives to develop and establish limited representation, co-location or common visa application centres for,

initially, reception and, at a later stage, processing of visa applications.

PRIORITY 4: support for the establishment of IT systems required for implementation of the Community legal
instruments in the field of external borders and visas.

Within this priority, the Community contribution may be increased to 75 % for projects addressing the following specific
priorities:

(1) investments linked to the Schengen Information System (SIS);

(2) investments linked to the Visa Information System (VIS).

PRIORITY 5: support for effective and efficient application of relevant Community legal instruments in the field
of external borders and visas, in particular the Schengen Borders Code and the European Code on Visas (1)

This could involve dissemination of information on the relevant instruments including texts such as the practical
handbook for border guards, as well as training activities targeting officials from border guard services and at consulates.

Within this priority, the Community contribution may be increased to 75 % for projects addressing the following specific
priorities:

(1) implementation at national level of the common core curriculum for border guards’ training;

(2) enhancing the quality of the national input into the common integrated risk analysis model.

(1) The Common Consular Instructions on visas for diplomatic missions and consular posts will be replaced by the European Code on

Visas once it is adopted by the Council.