Concerns raised over Schengen data proposals

Greens/EFA MEP Tatjana Zdanoka has welcomed the European Parliament's decision to reject European Commission proposals for an evaluation system for the Schenegen area. Ms Zdanoka said the proposals raised serious concerns about data protection and that the Commission had failed to engage effectively with the European Parliament.

The Schengen agreement has allowed the removal of systematic border controls between participating European countries.

Speaking in the debate on the Commission's proposals to establish a new evaluation mechanism for the application of the Schengen accord, Ms Zdanoka agreed that an effective evaluation system was needed but raised two objections to the current proposals. Ms Zdanoka said:

"We should have a co-decision procedure. I shall not remind you about the role of the European Parliament as the elected institution. It's a pity that only a consultation procedure is suggested, although under the Lisbon Treaty a co-decision procedure will be the only option.

"My group has a very strong position concerning personal data protection. The Commission forgot to mention out-sourcing when speaking about the security of consular premises. It has also forgotten about IT security provisions for VIS. Furthermore, the annual evaluation programme must take into account not only the risk analysis provided by Frontex, but also the audits and inspections conducted by Member States themselves."

In a second debate on a Commission statement regarding delays in introducing a second generation of the Schengen Information System (a shared database that allows law enforcement authorities across the EU to share information on individuals, vehicles and documents) and Visa Information System (a shared database that allows to share information on visas) Ms Zdanoka said that the use of systems could lead to unwarranted interference in people's private lives. The MEP said the new systems would change the databases from being a technical tool to 'a general system of control and surveillance' and that this was unacceptable.

Speaking in the debate, Ms Zdanoka said:

"We regret that biometric data are to be introduced into the Visa Information System and the new Schengen Information System. We also regret that more and more authorities have access to the systems. Currently SIS is being transformed from a technical tool into a general system of control and surveillance.

"We believe that a stringent and coherent legal framework for data protection should be a precondition for the full implementation of these new systems.

"My other concern is the current contract and obligations arising from it. Why do the Commission and Council trust the current contractor? What will occur if the tests will be unsatisfactory? Who will cover financial losses?

"We could have avoided many of these questions if the European Parliament had from the very beginning been allowed to participate actively in the whole process."

Ms Zdanoka added after the vote:

"Following the vote the issue of the Schengen evaluation mechanism will return to the Civil Liberties committee for more detailed debate. I very much hope that the Commission will now engage seriously with the Parliament on this important subject and take on board our very reasonable concerns."

"With regard to the SIS II and VIS, we need to see far greater safeguards introduced which will ensure that the system remains as the technical database that was envisaged, rather than an intrusive surveillance tool