Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Preparing the next steps in border management in the European Union {SEC(2008) 153} {SEC(2008) 154}
Date: 2008-02-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: border control, external border of the EU, foreign national, free movement of persons, information system, management, migration policy

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 13.2.2008 
COM(2008) 69 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Preparing the next steps in border management in the European Union 

{SEC(2008) 153} 
{SEC(2008) 154} 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

1.1. 

Policy context 

The external borders of the EU are crossed every year by more than 300 million travellers, EU 
citizens and third country nationals combined. Europe is and will continue to be the world’s 
most important tourist destination1. This mirrors the importance of EU cultural heritage and 
the success of its political and social-economic model. In order to share its values and support 
economic growth, the EU must remain open and accessible to others. 

The  dismantling  of  the  EU's  internal  border  controls  is  one  of  the  greatest  achievements  of 
European integration. An area without internal borders, which has expanded from 7 countries 
in  1995  to  24  countries  at  the  end  of  2007  –  a  unique,  historic  accomplishment  –,  cannot 
function,  however,  without  shared  responsibility  and  solidarity  in  managing  its  external 
borders.  

The  ambitious  agenda  set  by  the  Commission  and  the  Council  in  2002,  in  the  plan  for 
management of the external borders of the EU Member States, has now been completed. The 
legislative framework has been consolidated. The Schengen Borders Code2 entered into force 
in  2006.  Simplified  rules  for  local  border  traffic  have  been  introduced3.  An  operational 
dimension has been added with the establishment of the FRONTEX Agency4. The concepts of 
burden-sharing  and  solidarity  have  been  given  real  meaning  by  the  European  Border  Fund 
which, for the first time, allocates substantial financial resources to these policy areas. 

Migratory pressure, as well as the prevention of entry of persons seeking to enter the EU for 
illegitimate reasons, are obvious challenges facing the Union and, therefore, also its policies 
on  borders  and  visas.  The  fundamental  challenges  of  migration  management  must  be 
addressed  from  the  perspective  of  a  comprehensive  immigration  policy  (cf  the  Global 
Approach),  including  the  EU's  engagement  with  third  countries  in  particular.  There  is 
therefore  also  a  need  to  look  from  the  perspective  of  immigration  policy  as  a  whole,  at  a 
number  of  horizontal  issues  that  have  an  impact  on  the  EU's  ability  to  manage  its  external 
borders and to safeguard the Schengen acquis – the external dimension, the medium to long-
term  budgetary  aspects  related  to  financial  solidarity  and  burden-sharing,  and  the  impact  of 
the new Treaty. In this wider context, the Commission will adopt in June a Communication on 
a comprehensive immigration policy. 

While  Member  States  remain  responsible  for  controlling  their  own  border,  the  Union's 
common  policy  in  support  of  Member  States'  efforts  should  be  continuously  developed  and 
strengthened  in  response  to  new  threats,  shifts  in  migratory  pressure  and  any  shortcomings 
identified,  using  new  technology  extensively  and  proportionately.  The  social  and  economic 
dimensions should be given equal weight. Crossing the external border should be simple and 
quick  for  third-country  nationals  fulfilling  the  entry  conditions  set  by  Community  and 
national  law.  People-to-people  contacts  in  border  regions  and  between  family  members 
should  be  facilitated.  Border  management  should  support,  not  stifle,  economic  growth  in 

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World Tourist Organisation (WTO): Vision 2020 Volume 4 p. 48. 'Tourism' also includes travelling for 
the purposes of improving one's professional qualifications and health. 
Regulation (EC) No 562/2006. 
Regulation (EC) No 1931/2006. 
Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004. 

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border  regions  of  neighbouring  countries.  For  the  same  purpose,  the  EU  has  recently 
concluded  visa  facilitation  agreements  with  eight  neighbouring  countries5,  and  is  engaging 
several of them in a dialogue towards removing the visa obligation. 

1.2. 

Integrated border management and current tools 

The concept of an integrated border management involves combining control mechanisms and 
the use of tools based on the flows of persons towards and into the EU. It involves measures 
taken  at  the  consulates  of  Member  States  in  third  countries,  measures  in  cooperation  with 
neighbouring  third  countries,  measures  at  the  border  itself,  and  measures  taken  within  the 
Schengen  area.  The  key  elements  of  this  concept  currently  include  the  following  measures, 
which apply with regard to third country nationals travelling to a Member State taking part in 
the Schengen cooperation or a country associated to this cooperation. 

As  defined  in  Community  law  travellers  from  certain  third  countries  are  subject  to  the  visa 
obligation6. For this category, a first check of whether they fulfil the conditions of entry and 
stay takes place in conjunction with the visa application at the consulates of Member States in 
third countries.  

Third  country  nationals  requiring  a  short  stay  visa  will  be  checked  against  the  Visa 
Information System, which will be fully operational in 2012 at the earliest including the roll-
out  at  consulates  and  border  crossing  points.  The  European  Parliament  and  the  Council 
reached a political agreement on the legal bases for the VIS in 2007 and it is expected to be 
formally  adopted  in  the  first  half  of  2008.  The  main  purposes  of  the  VIS  are,  on  entry,  to 
verify the authenticity of the visa and the identity of its holder. Biometrics – facial image and 
fingerprints - will be introduced from the start in the VIS. The Commission has presented a 
proposal  to  amend  the  Schengen  Borders  Code,  making  compulsory  the  verification  of  the 
identity of the visa holder at each entry. 

For persons travelling by air to the EU, before or in relation with boarding data equivalent to 
what is contained in the passport is transmitted as Advanced Passenger Information (API) at 
request  of  the  Member  State  of  destination  in  order  to  alert  the  border  guard  authorities  on 
risky passengers7. 

API  data  cannot  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  a  person  from  arriving  at  the  border 
crossing point of the Member State of destination. 

According to the Schengen Borders Code8, third country nationals must be subject, at entry, to 
a  "thorough  check",  which  in  addition  to  the  examination  of  the  travel  document  involves 
verifying  their  purpose  and  length  of  stay  and  whether  they  possess  sufficient  means  of 
subsistence, as well as a search in the Schengen Information System and in national databases 
to  verify  that  they  are  not  a  threat  to  public  policy,  internal  security,  public  health  and  the 
international relations of the Schengen States. Consequently, the checks involve a number of 
conditions that are verified by the border guard through questions put to the traveller. Also the 

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Russia,  Ukraine,  Serbia,  Montenegro,  Albania,  Bosnia-Herzegovina,  FYROM,  and  Republic  of 
Moldova. 
Regulation (EC) No 539/2001. 
Directive 2004/82/EC. 
OJ L 105, 13.4.2006, p. 1. 

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validity of the travel document needs to be inspected by the border guard in each case. Checks 
are the same regardless of whether persons are subject to the visa requirement or not.  

Border guards are obliged to manually stamp – indicating the date and place of entry and exit 
– the travel documents of third country nationals crossing the external border. 

At  the  consulates  as  well  as  at  the  borders  the  Schengen  Information  System  (SIS)  is 
consulted  to  verify  that  the  person  is  not  signalled  by  a  Member  State  for  the  purpose  of 
denying  entry.  The  SIS  and  the  future  SIS  II  registers  alerts,  with  respect  to  third  country 
nationals, on persons to be refused entry to the Schengen area, wanted persons, and persons to 
be  put  under  protection.  All  third  country  nationals  entering  the  EU,  whether  under  visa 
obligation or not, are checked systematically in the SIS. 

For checks within the Schengen territory law enforcement authorities will have access to the 
VIS allowing for identifying undocumented persons if they have been previously issued with 
a visa. 

Finally, reference should also be made to the Commission's proposal on the use of Passenger 
Name Records for persons arriving by air, essentially equivalent to the information contained 
in the  flight reservation9.  This information is also transmitted just before or in relation with 
boarding to law enforcement authorities. This system would apply to all Member States, as it 
is not linked to the Schengen cooperation as such. The transmission of PNR data takes place 
for the purpose of preventing terrorism and organised crime, not for border checks.  

1.3. 

Possible  new  tools  for  the  future  development  of  an  integrated  border 
management strategy 

If the EU wants to reach the objective of a truly integrated border management, with the aim 
of  meeting  the  two  objectives  of  enhancing  security  and  facilitating  travel  for  third-country 
nationals, further steps could be considered.  

Starting  with  the  measures  taken  at  the  consulates,  and  from  the  angle  of  facilitating  travel 
and access to the EU's territory, the current visa policy is an all-or-nothing approach. While 
Visa  Facilitation  Agreements  have  been  concluded  with  a  number  of  third  countries,  the 
common  visa  policy  does  not  allow  for  other  options  than  putting  the  nationals  of  a  given 
third country under the visa obligation or not. 

From a security angle, third-country nationals not requiring a visa are currently not subject to 
any systematic check for border control purposes before arriving at the border itself. 

As  concerns  measures  taken  at  the  borders,  and  from  the  angle  of  facilitating  travel,  the 
current  legal  framework  for  border  checks  is  a  one-size-fits-all  approach,  meaning  that 
Community law as it stands today does not allow for simplifying checks for certain categories 
of  travellers.  The  only  exception  are  third-country  nationals  resident  in  border  areas  of 
neighbouring countries – as a general rule up to 30 km from the border – that can benefit from 
simplified border checks and an exemption from the visa requirement under the rules of the 
Local Border Traffic Regulation.  Other third-country nationals who frequently travel to and 
from  the  Schengen  area  for  legitimate  reasons,  for  example  persons  travelling  on  business, 
and respect the conditions for their length of stay on each occasion, are subject to the same 

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COM(2007) 654. 

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thorough  border  checks  at  each  entry.  This  applies  also  for  those,  subject  to  the  visa 
requirement, that are issued with a multiple entry visa. By imposing a thorough check on all 
persons the current legal framework thereby prevents modernising the way border controls are 
carried out - new technology could allow for automating, and thereby substantially speeding 
up, border checks for bona fide travellers. 

Looking at the measures that could be taken within the Schengen territory, the Union could 
reflect  on  the  introduction  of  an  efficient  tool  for  identifying  overstayers,  as  the  dates  for 
movements of third-country nationals across the external borders are currently not recorded. 
Overstayers present by far the biggest category of illegal immigrants in the EU10. Even if such 
data would be collected by individual Member States there are no any means for sharing such 
data  between  Member  States.  Border  guards  are  neither  able  to  calculate  the  length  of  stay 
when  different  travel  documents  are  used  to  enter  and  exit  the  EU  or  when  they  are 
confronted  with  practical  difficulties  such  as  a  passport  full  of  stamps  or  when  stamps  are 
illegible. Against this background this Communication puts forward suggestions for new tools 
that could form an integrated part of the European border management strategy of the future. 
It proposes ways to look ahead and reflect on the next generation of border management tools, 
with  the  objective  of  preserving  the  integrity  of  the  Schengen  area  while  simultaneously 
facilitating  the  procedures  and  border  crossings  for  those  seeking  to  enter  for  legitimate 
reasons.  The  possible  tools  to  reflect  on,  which  would  apply  with  regard  to  third  country 
nationals travelling to a Member State taking part in the Schengen cooperation or to a country 
associated to this cooperation, could include: 

–  facilitation of border crossing for bona fide travellers11; 

–  possible introduction of a registration of entry/exit; and 

–  examining the introduction of an Electronic System of Travel Authorisation (ESTA). 

The Communication is based on an impact assessment which was carried out with the support 
of two studies from external contractors. A Commission staff working paper to be presented 
in  March  will  assess  in  more  detail  issues  related  to  the  technical  aspects  of  the 
implementation. 

2. 

FACILITATING BORDER CROSSINGS FOR BONA FIDE TRAVELLERS  

•  Low-risk  travellers  from  third  countries,  including  those  that  are  subject  to  the 
visa requirement and those that are not, could be offered a pre-screening process, 
on a voluntary basis, with a view to being granted Registered Traveller status.  

•  When arriving at the borders of the EU Registered Travellers could benefit from a 

simplified and automated border check. 

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Cf impact assessment on estimated numbers. 
The Commission included the creation of an entry-exit system and the introduction of a border-crossing 
facilitation  scheme  among  possible  developments  in  its  Communication  on  enhanced  interoperability 
and synergies among European databases in the area of Justice and Home Affairs - COM(2005) 597, 
24.11.2005 - and in its Communication on Policy Priorities in the fight against Illegal Immigration of 
Third-Country Nationals - COM(2006) 402, 19.7.2006. 

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The current legal framework regulating checks to be carried out on third-country nationals at 
the  external  borders  could  be  amended  to  provide  for  relaxing  the  checks  to  be  carried  for 
certain categories of travellers, to be awarded the status of "Registered Travellers". Applicants 
for such a status could be subject to a pre-screening and the criteria would be defined so as to 
compensate for the lighter checks at the borders. The checks to be retained at the border itself 
could be defined in such a way so as to open the way for the use of automated gates.  

In concrete terms, awarding the status of "Registered Traveller" and providing for automated 
checks for those persons would mean waiving the verification of certain entry conditions at 
the border (purpose of stay, means of subsistence, absence of threat to public order). Persons 
could  be  granted  "Registered  Traveller"  status  after  appropriate  screening  on  the  basis  of 
common  vetting  criteria.  These  could  as  a  minimum  include  a  reliable  travel  history  (the 
person  should  not  have  exceeded  the  authorised  stay  at  previous  visits  to  the  EU),  proof  of 
sufficient  means  of  subsistence,  and  holding  a  biometric  passport.  Further  criteria  could  be 
considered  and  the  criteria  for  awarding  Registered  Traveller  status  to  those  under  visa 
obligation could be aligned to the criteria applicable for the granting of multiple entry visas.  

Third country nationals could apply for Registered Traveller status at any Member State. The 
application  process  could  be  organised  at  the  consulates  or  at  future  common  application 
centres. 

To allow for the use of the same infrastructure and equipment, the same biometric identifiers 
(facial image and fingerprints) could be used as for visa holders. Information will be shared 
between Member States on holders of Registered Traveller status, as these persons should be 
able to benefit from a simplified check at the external borders of the Schengen area regardless 
of at which border crossing point they choose to enter. 

Besides the criteria that have been waived for the purpose of allowing a simplified check of 
registered  travellers  at  the  borders,  at  the  border  itself,  the  introduction  of  automated  gates 
could  enable  the  automated  verification  of  travellers’  identity  without  the  intervention  of 
border guards. A machine would read the biometric data contained in the travel documents or 
stored in a system or database and compare them against the biometrics of the traveller. 

Besides other positive aspects such as the satisfaction of travellers and the symbolic effect of 
showing the EU as open to the world, Automated Border Control systems could significantly 
increase cost-effectiveness as more passengers would be processed at the borders by a smaller 
number  of  border  guards,  thereby  reducing  overall  costs  for  Member  States  faced  with 
continuously  increasing  passenger  flows.  One  border  guard  should  be  able  to  oversee  up  to 
ten  automated  border  gates  in  operation.  Automated  border  controls  for  bona  fide  travellers 
would provide major benefits in time savings on crossing the external border and allow border 
authorities  to  focus  their  resources  on  those  groups  of  third  country  nationals  that  require 
more attention, thus improving overall security at borders.  

A decision on the border crossing points at which facilitation measures are introduced should 
be  taken  by  Member  States  individually,  based  on  the  flow  of  passengers  and  the  traffic 
conditions.  In  practice  one  additional  lane  could  be  arranged  at  the  border  crossing  point 
where automated border gates are used. 

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The use of automated gates by EU citizens 

It should also be noted that EU citizens and other persons enjoying the Community right of 
free movement12 could benefit from automated gates when crossing the external border. This 
category  is  subject  to  a  "minimum  check",  at  both  entry  and  exit,  consisting  of  the 
examination  of  the  travel  document  so  as  to  verify  the  identity  of  the  individual.  Border 
checks  under  the  current  legal  framework  can  therefore  be  automated  for  EU  citizens  in 
possession  of  an  e-passport  already  today.  The  automated  gate  systems  envisaged  for  third-
country  nationals  could  be  used  by  EU  citizens  also  when  crossing  the  external  borders, 
performing  the  same  functions,  except  that  only  random  checks  of  the  SIS  and  national 
databases can be carried out in accordance with the Schengen Borders Code13. 

Member States have begun issuing biometric passports14 containing the digitised facial image 
of the holder since August 2006, and will from 28 June 2009 issue passports containing also 
the holder's fingerprints15. The introduction of biometrics in passports could be completed by 
2016  for  one  biometric  identifier  and  by  2019  for  two  identifiers,  at  the  latest  (assuming  a 
maximum period of validity of passports of 10 years). All EU citizens would at that time be 
able to benefit from automated border crossings should they be taken up by Member States in 
a  widespread  fashion.  Automated  border  crossings  for  EU  citizens  based  on  the  biometric 
passports  would  use  the  same  automated  gates  as  for  third-country  nationals  that  are 
registered travellers. 

In  the  run-up  to  the  full  introduction  of  biometric  passports,  the  current  legal  framework 
allows for schemes based on voluntary enrolment to be deployed by Member States, under the 
condition  that  the  criteria  for  enrolment  correspond  to  those  for  minimum  checks  at  the 
borders and that the schemes are open for all persons enjoying the Community right to free 
movement. Such schemes should be interoperable within the EU, based on common technical 
standards, which should be defined to support the widespread and coherent use of automated 
border  control  systems.  The  take-up  of  interoperable  schemes  by  Member  States  could  be 
promoted through financial support from the External Borders Fund.  

3. 

THE  CREATION  OF  A  SYSTEM  TO  REGISTER  THE  ENTRY/EXIT  OF  THIRD  COUNTRY 
NATIONALS 

•  The automatic registration of the time and place of entry and exit of third country 
nationals,  both  those  that  require  a  visa  and  those  that  do  not,  to  identify 
overstayers, could be introduced at the borders. 

•  An alert available to national authorities could be issued once the validity of an 

individual's stay in the EU has expired, and no exit data had been captured.  

An entry/exit system could apply to third country nationals admitted for a short stay (up to 3 
months), covering both those that are subject to the visa requirement and those that are not. 
The  system  could  include  the  recording  of  information  on  the  time  and  place  of  entry,  the 

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Family members of EU citizens; other EEA and Swiss nationals, including family members. 
Portuguese RAPID is an example of such system already in operation. 
Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 of 13 December 2004 on Biometrics in Passports.  
Commission Decision C(2006) 2909 of 28 June 2006. 

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length of stay authorised, and the transmission of automated alerts directly to the competent 
authorities, should a person be identified as 'overstayer', both at the time this occurs and upon 
departure  from  the  EU.  In  exceptional  cases  (e.g.  a  national  visa  granted  due  to  flight 
cancellation, illness or other justifiable reason) or of a change of the status of the person (e.g. 
extended  right  of  residence)  the  system  information  should  be  updated  by  the  authorities 
responsible for taking the decision. 

The alert information would allow for: 

–  Enabling national authorities to identify overstayers and take the appropriate measures; 

–  Deterring third-country nationals from overstaying; 

–  Providing  information  for  operational  purposes  on  patterns  of  overstaying  (e.g.  travel 
route, fraudulent sponsors, country of origin and reasons for travelling) as well as data on 
migration flows and overstayers for visa policy purposes.  

All third country nationals requiring visas could provide their biometric data when applying 
for  a  visa  at  a  Member  State's  consular  post  for  the  Visa  Information  System,  and  border 
crossing  points  could  be  equipped  to  allow  for  the  verification  of  the  identity  of  the  visa 
holder  on  the  basis  of  that  data.  In  order  to  take  full  advantage  of  these  investments  and 
minimize  the  impacts  to  border  checks,  it  would  be  reasonable  to  await  the  complete  and 
successful  rollout  of  the  VIS  to  all  consular  posts  and  border  crossing  points  before  the 
entry/exit system is implemented in practice.  

Third-country  nationals  not  requiring  visas  could  be  subject  to  identical  verification 
procedures as visa holders at the borders, with the help of the same biometric equipment. It 
would be necessary to enrol their biometric data at the first entry so that subsequent biometric 
checks  on  exit  as  well  as  within  the  Schengen  area  could  be  performed,  which  could 
potentially complicate the management of passenger flows, especially at certain land border 
crossing points.  

An increase in the time required and longer queues due to the introduction of the entry/exit 
system  could  be  offset  by  better  management  of  the  flow  of  passengers  due  to  automated 
border crossings. For Registered Travellers, the enrolment of biometrics at the first entry for 
the  purpose  of  the  entry/exit  system  should  be  dispensed  since  the  registration  of  dates  for 
entry and exit is included in the automated border control process for such travellers.  

An element to be considered in the reflection is whether a separate system is required to store 
the entry/exit data of third-country nationals, as well as their biometric data. This new system 
could use the same technical platform as SIS II and VIS thereby exploiting synergies with the 
Biometric  Matching  System  (BMS)  currently under  development  and  which  could  form  the 
common basis for the entry/exit system, the VIS and the SIS II. The Commission will present 
a  more  detailed  technical  analysis  of  these  solutions,  including  whether  the  VIS  could  be 
extended  for  the  specific  purpose  of  storing  the  entry/exit  data  of  third-country  nationals 
requiring  visas,  and  whether  a  separate  system  is  necessary  for  the  Registered  Travellers 
scheme.  

Costs  flowing  from  the  necessary  investments  to  be  made  by  Member  States  to  equip  the 
border crossing points would, as is the case for the investments currently made in relation to 
the  implementation  of  the  SIS  and  the  VIS,  be  covered  by  the  External  Border  Fund. 

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Estimates are provided in the accompanying impact assessment and will be further detailed in 
the  forthcoming  working  document  from  the  Commission  services.  No  costs  should  be 
incurred by third countries as a result of the implementation of the entry/exit system and the 
Registered Travellers programme. 

4. 

ELECTRONIC SYSTEM OF TRAVEL AUTHORISATION (ESTA) 

The Commission will examine the possibility of introducing an electronic system of travel 
authorisation. Such a system would apply to third-country nationals not subject to the visa 
requirement who would be requested to make an electronic application supplying, in advance 
of travelling, data identifying the traveller and specifying the passport and travel details. The 
data could be used for verifying that a person fulfils the entry conditions before travelling to 
the  EU,  while  using  a  lighter  and  simpler  procedure  compared  to  a  visa.  The  Commission 
intends to launch a study in 2008 to analyse the feasibility, the practical implications and the 
impacts of such a system. 

5. 

DATA PROTECTION ISSUES 

Systems must comply with EU data protection rules including the requirements of necessity, 
proportionality, purpose limitation and quality of data. Particular care must be taken to ensure 
full  compliance  with  the  requirements  of  Articles  16  and  17  of  Directive  95/46/EC  on 
confidentiality  and  security,  as  well  as  the  requirements  related  to  network  security  and 
confidentiality laid down by Regulation (EC) No 45/2001. 

The data protection rules for the VIS and the status quo including the retention of information 
for only five years would seem appropriate. 

The  data  generated  by  the  entry/exit  system  would  be  used  by  the  competent  immigration 
authorities.  Individuals  should  have  the  right  of  access  to  information  held  on  them  and  to 
challenge and correct this information as provided for in Community and national legislation. 
Provisions  should  be  made  for  an  appeal  mechanism  in  cases  where  third  country  nationals 
are ‘forced’ to overstay. 

The  study  to  be  launched  by  the  Commission  on  the  possibility  of  an  electronic  travel 
authorisation will also consider the relevant data protection issues arising from such a system. 

6. 

CONCLUSIONS 

Having  regard  to  the  progress  made  in  agreeing  upon  and  launching  the  Visa  Information 
System, the EU should consider building on this achievement by reflecting on the necessary 
parameters for putting in place an entry/exit system for all third-country nationals admitted 
for a short stay,. Should this reflection conclude on the opportunity to build such a system, it 
could be operational by 2015 and future proposals would be needed in order to:  

•  Amend the Schengen Borders Code to ensure that registration of dates of entry and exit is 
carried  out  systematically  at  all  crossing  points  of  the  external  border,  and  that  the 
enrolment  of  biometrics  at  the  border  for  third  country  nationals  not  requiring  a  visa 
becomes  a  compulsory  entry  condition.  Also,  if  a  "registered  traveller"  is  created,  the 

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Borders  Code  would  need  to  allow  for  a  simplified  check  of  travellers  awarded  such  a 
status at the borders; 

•  Decide the setting up of the new entry/exit system to register the entry and exit information 
and store biographic and biometric data of third country nationals. The system could build 
on the same technical platform as the VIS/SIS II. 

Member States could also reflect on the need to use automated border control systems for 
EU citizens, based on the e-passport or national schemes. A discussion on the development of 
technical standards to achieve interoperability of national schemes not based on the e-passport 
should take place in the appropriate fora. In a wider perspective, developing global standards 
could  be  considered,  with  a  view  to  coordinating  enrolment,  eligibility  and  technical 
interoperability features of such schemes at international level.  

The Commission will report back to the European Parliament and the Council on the outcome 
of the study on an electronic travel authorisation system during 2009. 

The  Commission  therefore  invites  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  to  engage  in  a 
reflection on the future overall architecture of the EU's integrated border management and the 
use of systems, from the angle of enhancing security and facilitating travel. On the basis of 
this  reflection,  the  Commission  will  assess  the  further  development  of  these  systems, 
including the presentation of the necessary legislative proposals. 

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   EN