Filenews 17 March 2022
The European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) is to give the green light for the application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the area of the Republic of Cyprus, following the debate that took place in the context of its work in Brussels.
According to the draft of the bill that is expected to be approved at committee level later this month, before it is forwarded to the plenary for a vote, parliament is expected to approve the Commission's proposal, as informed by the CNA. The deadline for tabling amendments to the committee's draft is 23 March.
In particular, the proposal concerns the transfer of Schengen Information System (SIS) data to Cyprus, so that it can be put in place and enable the Commission to verify whether the country is applying the relevant provisions correctly.
As pointed out in the explanatory statement of the rapporteur, MEP Peter Kofond (Identity and Democracy, Denmark), until the full implementation of the Schengen acquis in Cyprus and the abolition of controls on the Green Line (meaning the solution of the Cyprus problem), restrictions will apply in relation to the use of the SIS.
The rapporteur also notes that it is important due to the increased migration flows that the Cypriot authorities can verify in SIS the information in relation to the arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers via the Green Line.
However, he adds, Cyprus' future accession to the Schengen area should be assessed independently of membership of the SIS, based on the possibility of maintaining security at the external borders.
Amendment of a reference to 'internal borders'
The draft, as informed by the CNA, contained a reference to the Green Line as an "internal border" in the Republic of Cyprus, in the context of the justification of the rapporteur's reasoning.
Both the MEP of the European People's Party (DISY) Loucas Fourlas (who is a member of LIBE) and the MEP of the Left (AKEL) Giorgos Georgiou, intervened to the rapporteur noting that the correct wording regarding the Green Line would be the reference to crossing points between the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus and the areas over which the government does not exercise effective control, on the basis of the wording of the Green Line Regulation.
As the CNA is informed, the rapporteur is said to have taken these points into account and is oriented towards amending them.
Meanwhile, an exchange of views was also scheduled during the LIBE meeting with Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and Interior Minister Nikos Nouris (via teleconference) on migration flows to Cyprus. However, the debate was postponed until a later stage for planning reasons.
CNA
