COUNCIL DECISION
of 29 June 2010
on the application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the Schengen Information System in the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania
(2010/365/EU)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the 2005 Act of Accession, and in particular Article 4(2) thereof,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (1),
Whereas:
(1)
Article 4(2) of the 2005 Act of Accession provides that the provisions of the Schengen acquis, other than those mentioned in Annex II to that Act, shall apply in Bulgaria and Romania (hereinafter the ‘Member States concerned’) only pursuant to a Council Decision to that effect, after verification that the necessary conditions for the application of that acquis have been met.
(2)
The Council has verified that the Member States concerned ensure satisfactory levels of data protection by taking the following steps:
A full questionnaire was forwarded to the Member States concerned, whose replies were recorded, and verification and evaluation visits were made to those Member States, in accordance with the applicable Schengen evaluation procedures as set out in the Decision of the Executive Committee setting up a Standing Committee on the evaluation and implementation of Schengen (SCH/Com-ex (98) 26 def.) (2), in the area of Data Protection.
(3)
On 26 April 2010, the Council concluded that the conditions in this area had been fulfilled by the Member States concerned. It is therefore possible to set a date from which the Schengen acquis relating to the Schengen Information System (SIS) may apply in those Member States.
(4)
The entry into force of this Decision should allow for real SIS data to be transferred to the Member States concerned. The concrete use of this data should allow the Council, through the applicable Schengen evaluation procedures as set out in SCH/Com-ex (98) 26 def., to verify the correct application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the SIS in the Member States concerned. Once these evaluations have been carried out, the Council should decide on the lifting of checks at the internal borders with those Member States.
(5)
A separate Council Decision should be adopted setting a date for the lifting of checks at internal borders. Until the date set out in that Decision, certain restrictions on the use of the SIS should be imposed.
(6)
As regards Iceland and Norway, this Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement concluded by the Council of the European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the latters’ association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis (3) which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, point G, of Council Decision 1999/437/EC (4) on certain arrangements for the application of that Agreement.
(7)
As regards Switzerland, this Decision constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Swiss Confederation’s association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis (5), which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, point G of Council Decision 1999/437/EC of 17 May 1999, read in conjunction with Article 3 of Council Decision 2008/149/JHA (6) and with Article 3 of Council Decision 2008/146/EC (7),
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
1. From 15 October 2010, the provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the SIS, as referred to in Annex I, shall apply to the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania amongst themselves and in their relations with the Kingdom of Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the Republic of France, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Republic of Hungary, Malta, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden as well as the Republic of Iceland, the Kingdom of Norway and the Swiss Confederation.
2. The provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the SIS, as referred to in Annex II, shall apply from the date specified therein to the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania amongst themselves and in their relations with the Kingdom of Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the Republic of France, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Republic of Hungary, Malta, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden as well as the Republic of Iceland, the Kingdom of Norway and the Swiss Confederation.
3. From 29 June 2010 real SIS data may be transferred to the Member States concerned.
From 15 October 2010, the Member States concerned, like the Member States in respect of which the Schengen acquis has already been implemented, shall be able to enter data into the SIS and use SIS data, subject to the provisions of paragraph 4.
4. Until the date of the lifting of checks at internal borders with the Member States concerned, those Member States:
(a)
shall not be obliged to refuse entry to their territory or to expel nationals of third States for whom a SIS alert has been issued by another Member State for the purposes of refusing entry;
(b)
shall refrain from entering the data covered by the provisions of Article 96 of the Convention of 19 June 1990 implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 between the governments of the States of Benelux economic union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders (hereinafter the ‘Schengen Convention’) (8).
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.
Article 3
This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Luxembourg, 29 June 2010.