Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

**Council of the**
**European Union**

**Interinstitutional File:**

**2020/0239(NLE)**

**OUTCOME OF PROCEEDINGS**

From: General Secretariat of the Council

To: Delegations

No. prev. doc.: 6266/21

**Brussels, 8 March 2021**
**(OR. en)**

**6753/21**

**SCH-EVAL 36**
**FRONT 81**
**COMIX 125**

Subject: Council Implementing Decision setting out a recommendation on
addressing the deficiencies identified in the 2019 evaluation of **Sweden** on
the application of the Schengen acquis in the field of **management of the**
**external borders**

Delegations will find enclosed the Council Implementing Decision setting out a Recommendation

on addressing the deficiencies identified in the 2019 evaluation of Sweden on the application of the

Schengen acquis in the field of management of the external borders, adopted by written procedure

on 4 March 2021.

In line with Article 15(3) of Council Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013 of 7 October 2013, this

Recommendation will be forwarded to the European Parliament and national Parliaments.

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Council Implementing Decision setting out a

**RECOMMENDATION**

**on addressing the deficiencies identified in the 2019 evaluation of Sweden on the application**

**of the Schengen acquis in the field of management of the external borders**

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013 of 7 October 2013 establishing an

evaluation and monitoring mechanism to verify the application of the Schengen acquis and

repealing the Decision of the Executive Committee of 16 September 1998 setting up a Standing

Committee on the evaluation and implementation of Schengen **[1]**, and in particular Article 15 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The purpose of this Decision is to recommend to Sweden remedial actions to address the

deficiencies identified during the Schengen evaluation in the field of management of the

external border carried out in 2019. Following the evaluation, a report covering the findings

and assessments, listing best practices and deficiencies identified during the evaluation was

adopted by Commission Implementing Decision C(2020) 1890.

**1** OJ L 295, 6.11.2013, p. 27.

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(2) The main conclusion of the on-site team is that Sweden has implemented a substantial

number of recommendations and that there are no longer serious deficiencies in the Swedish

external border management. However, implementation of some core recommendations for

ensuring coherence in the national Integrated Border Management concept, command and

control function within the police organisation, unified training system, human resources

policy, risk analyses functions, quality control mechanism is slow or has not started yet.

Despite the visible progress made, mainly at the air borders, the improvement is still

urgently needed on these issues.

(3) In light of the importance of complying with the Schengen acquis, priority should be given

to implementing recommendations 1, 2, 3 and 5.

(4) This Decision should be transmitted to the European Parliament and to the Parliaments of

the Member States. Within three months of its adoption, Sweden should, pursuant to

Article 16 (1) of Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013, establish an action plan listing all

recommendations to remedy any deficiencies identified in the evaluation report and provide

that action plan to the Commission and the Council,

RECOMMENDS:

Sweden should

**Integrated Border Management Concept**

1. establish a clear governance for the implementation of the European Integrated Border

Management, including by appointing and empowering a national authority to coordinate

the implementation of the European Integrated Border Management, and finalise the

national strategy;

2. ensure clear coordination, command and control functions, including a clear chain of

command within the Swedish Police between the national, regional and local level for the

implementation of the European Integrated Border Management;

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3. conclude a specific contingency plan ~~s~~ for border management at national, regional and

local levels, involving all relevant national authorities; establish thresholds to adapt the

operational support, include the possibility to integrate the support by specific mechanisms

set up at EU level and test the plans periodically;

**Human resources**

4. ensure a sufficient number of trained staff at the Port of Stockholm to increase the number

of physical border checks on cargo vessels, cruise ships and other categories of sea traffic

in accordance with Articles 15 and 16 of the Schengen Borders Code;

5. ensure a sufficient number of trained staff for the National, regional and local coordination

centres to be able to efficiently design and implement the national risk analysis system and

the Eurosur system in accordance with the Article 15 and 16 of the Schengen Borders

Code;

**Horizontal issues**

6. further develop the Police database by implementing an extract function in order to have an

automatic collection and aggregation of the number of incidents and to decrease the

workload currently caused by the need to manually collect this information;

7. establish standardised procedures in relation to the reporting and information exchange in

case of detection of fraudulent documents;

8. ensure that Advance Passenger Information (API) from all airlines is received by the

Border Police and introduce the practice of imposing fines on the carriers in cases where

API data is not provided or incomplete;

9. further improve the registration of visas and refusals of entry issued per border crossing

point and make full use of those data for risk analysis purposes.

Done at Brussels,

_For the Council_

_The President_

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