Debate on restoring a fully functioning Schengen system, during the EP plenary session (09-12 May 2016) in Strasbourg. Statements by Jeanine HENNIS-PLASSCHAERT, Dutch Minister for Defence, Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Member of the EC in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Milan ZVER (EPP, SI), Tanja FAJON (S&amp;D, SI), Monica MACOVEI (ECR, RO), Sophia IN'T VELD (ALDE, NL), Kostas CHRYSOGONOS (GUE/NGL, EL), Beatrix von STORCH (ECR, DE)

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

Schengen reform package (T)

IN 'T VELD, Sophia (Renew, NL)

FAJON, Tanja (S&D, SI)

AVRAMOPOULOS, Dimitris (EL, EC)

MACOVEI, Monica (ECR, RO)

von STORCH, Beatrix (EFDD, DE)

CHRYSOGONOS, Kostas (GUE/NGL, EL)

HENNIS-PLASSCHAERT, Jeanine (ALDE, NL)

ZVER, Milan (EPP, SI)

Restoring a fully functioning Schengen system: extracts from the MEP's debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Jeanine HENNIS-PLASSCHAERT, Dutch Minister of Defence, The system has been severely tested by the migration crisis, leading several member states to reintroduce internal border controls. Now as you all know the aim is the ensure that any and all remaining obstacles are removed by the end of the year at the latest. For the cost of losing free movement within the Schengen area would be huge.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jeanine HENNIS-PLASSCHAERT, Dutch Minister of Defence, Member States must grant access to asylum procedures for all applications mad at their borders. At the same time, they should refuse entry to third country nationals who do not satisfy the entry conditions of the Schengen border code, and who have not submitted an application for asylum despite having had the opportunity to do so. The European Council also underlined the importance of restoring the normal functioning of the Schengen area in a concerted manner, while giving full support to Member States facing difficult circumstances. I am of course referring to Greece.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Member of the EC in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Our objective is to return to a normal functioning of the Schengen area with no internal border controls as soon as possible, and within 6 months at the latest. Because the costs of internal border controls are already visible.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, Member of the EC in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, By the end of the 6 month period at the latest, the implementation of other tools will allow lifting all internal border controls and returning to a normally functioning Schengen. I refer in particular to the European Coast and Border Guard, to the further sustained implementation of the EU-Turkey statement, the full application of EU asylum rules, as well as the swift agreement by the co-legislators of the recently presented proposals reforming parts of the common European Asylum System, in particular the Dublin system.

SOUNDBITE (Slovenian), Milan ZVER (EPP, SI), MEP 7 - 8th parliamentary terms, I think what is clear, is that the better the protection of the external borders are, the greater the freedom that can be allowed within the Schengen space.

SOUNDBITE (Slovenian), Tanja FAJON (S&amp;D, SI), MEP 7 - 8th parliamentary terms,, We need to do our utmost to make sure that the Commission draws up a report on the proportionality of the extension of border controls. We must take into consideration the fact that the entire transport system in the EU has been brought under threat. We may be loosing between 8-10 billion euros a year.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Monica MACOVEI (ECR, RO), MEP 7 - 8th parliamentary terms - former Minister for Justice, As the Commissioner for migration has said, an internal area without border controls is achievable only if we have solid protection of the external borders of the union. Securing the external borders of the EU is a prerequisite to retain the free movement within the Schengen area.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sophia IN&apos;T VELD (ALDE, NL), MEP 6 - 8th parliamentary terms, The situation is actually getting worse, not better. And maybe Schengen is not dead yet but it is certainly on life support. So, what I would like to know from the European Commission is, how strictly are you applying the criteria, because you keep saying it has to be necessary and proportionate but that seems to be a little bit a mantra because we don't see border controls disappearing.

SOUNDBITE (Greek), Kostas CHRYSOGONOS (GUE/NGL, EL), MEP 8th parliamentary term, Circumstances have changed and as far as Greece is concerned, our country has made determined steps in order to control its external borders. The future of Europe without Schengen is doubtful at least. The reintroduction of of border controls would cost billions of euro every year.

SOUNDBITE (German), Beatrix von STORCH (ECR, DE), MEP 8th parliamentary term, The external border was already pretty porous, now Merkel came along and tore it down, Schengen's dead. Anyone who wants it back has to secure the external borders. The external borders of the Schengen zone, not a wall or a face going up in FYROM which isn't part of Schengen, or getting a despot to protect the Turkish-Syrian border.