During the plenary session (22-25/10/2018) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs vote on Schengen Information System. The results are: 555 in favour, 67 against and 20 abstentions. Statements by Carlos COELHO (EPP, PT), rapporteur.

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

vote

Schengen reform package (T)

COELHO, Carlos (EPP, PT)

Schengen Information System: extracts from the vote and statement by Carlos COELHO (EPP, PT) rapporteur

Presentation of the vote. (3 shots)

Results:  642 voting 555 in favour 67 against 20 abstention

SOUNDBITE (English), Carlos COELHO (EPP, PT), rapporteur , Because we have no internal borders in Europe, our external borders are common borders indeed. So, if someone who is trying to enter in France is entering in Germany, police needs to cooperate, exchanging information on that and those controls. And that is why Schengen Information System is the most powerful and most used tool among police and border guards in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Carlos COELHO (EPP, PT), rapporteur, With the new system, we will be able to prevent children abduction and genital mutilation. That means children will be better protected. With the new system, we will be able to monitor the activity of foreign fighters. That means increased security. With the new system, we will have new biometric data. I'm speaking about fingerprints, about DNA, about facial image. That means the kinds of controls we are doing, they will be more performant. With the new system, we will be able to address the main problems we have now, relating immigration and security of the citizens. So, with the new system we will be able to protect Schengen as an area of free movement and to tell our citizens they can freely but in a secure way move across Europe.