Union Security: Proposal for a European information system and travel authorization

"We need to know who cross our borders. will recommend, before November, establishing an automated system whereby they determined who is allowed to travel in Europe. In this way we will know what traveling heading to Europe even before they arrive. " – President Jean-Claude Juncker, Speaking for the Union in 2016

The Commission today proposes the establishment of a European information system and travel authorization (ENISA) to strengthen security checks on travelers without visa. This is a continuation of President Juncker announced in September in his speech to the Union in 2016, and a first objective of the priority actions identified in the Roadmap Bratislava. The ETIAS will collect information for all those who travel to the EU without a visa to allow the advance operation of controls over security and irregular immigration. This will contribute to more effective management of EU external borders and improve internal security, while facilitating the legitimate movement across the Schengen border.

The First Vice-France Timmermans said: "The security of our borders and the protection of our citizens is a top priority. The ETIAS will fill an information gap, crossing the data of applicants are exempt from the visa obligation by all other systems. At the same time, the future will be easy ETIAS, fast, cheap and effective. "

The Immigration and Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said: "The ETIAS is the missing link in border management, which connects our policies on immigration and security and enhancing the entry into the Schengen area for at least 95% travelers without visa. The opening of Europe must not be at the expense of safety. "

The Commissioner responsible for Safety Union said Julian King: "Terrorists and criminals are not particularly interested in national borders. The only way to defeat them is to work effectively. The ETIAS will contribute to this: by identifying individuals who are a problem and the prohibition of entry will strengthen the internal security of Europe. "

ETIAS approval is not a visa; it is a simpler visitor-friendly status. Nationals of countries that are free from the visa requirement can travel without a visa, but should obtain a simple travel authorization prior to their entry into the Schengen area. This will contribute to the identification of persons for whom there may be a risk of irregular immigration or a risk to safety before they arrive at the border and will significantly enhance the security of external borders. The ETIAS will also bridge an existing gap of information on travelers without visa, the collection of information potentially vital for the authorities of the Member States prior to their arrival in the Schengen border. The ETIAS is therefore an important step forward to more powerful and more intelligent information systems for border security. The ETIAS facilitate the crossing of external borders by third country nationals exempt from the visa requirement. Travelers will have a reliable timely indication of entry into the Schengen area; in this way the number of refusals of entry will be significantly reduced.

To decide the approval or rejection of the EU travel request, an automated system will conduct preliminary checks, with full respect for fundamental rights and the protection of personal data. Although the final decision on granting or refusal of entry will always be taken by the national border guards carrying out border controls under the Schengen Borders Code, the preliminary checks of all passengers will facilitate border controls and ensure coordinated and harmonized assessment of third countries who are exempt from the visa requirement.

The ETIAS will be under the management of a European border guard and coastguard in close cooperation with the competent authorities of the Member States and Europol. The eu-LISA agency will develop and ensure the technical management of the information system.

The basic functions of ETIAS will be the following:

Verification of information by third country nationals exempt from the visa requirement (such as information about the identity, travel documents, residence, contact details etc.), via electronic application before their trip to the EU's external borders, to assess whether a risk to illegal immigration, safety or public health;
Automatic processing of any application made via websites or mobile device application against other EU information systems (as the SIS, the VIS, Europol database, the Interpol database, the input-output system, the Eurodac database, του ECRIS), a special surveillance list of ETIAS (which Europol has established) and targeted, proportionate and clearly defined rules of review to establish whether there are genuine indications or reasonable grounds for issuing or refusing a travel authorisation;
Issuing travel authorizations. In cases where there are no positive results or items that require further analysis, the travel authorization issued automatically a few minutes after the application.

The authorization would be granted through a simple, economical and fast process; in the vast majority of cases, the authorization should be given in minutes. License, the application of which will be completed in no more than ten minutes and requires only a valid travel document, valid for five years and for multiple trips. All applicants over 18 years required application fee of only € 5.

record

The safety issue is fixed from the beginning of the Commission's mandate Juncker, the political guidelines of President Juncker lines in July 2014 as the recent speech of the State of the Union in September 2016. In his speech, President Juncker announced that before November, the Commission will propose establishing a European travel information system (ENISA), an automated system whereby they determined who is allowed to travel in the Schengen area. Highest priority is given to the establishment of this system in the roadmap Bratislava who signed and agreed by 27 EU leaders should commit to: "The creation of an information system of travel authorization (ENISA) to be made in advance and controls, if necessary, the entrance is not allowed-exempt travelers from visa '.

The European Commission adopted the European Agenda for Safety in 28 April 2015, presenting the main actions for an effective EU response to terrorism and threats to security in the European Union in the period 2015-2020.

Since the adoption of the agenda has been significant progress in the implementation of. In November 2015, the Commission proposed revising the directive on firearms and then, December 2015, an Action Plan on Firearms and Explosives. On terrorism, December 2015 the Commission adopted a new directive on combating terrorism and, February 2016, adopted a specific action plan to combat the financing of terrorism. In April, the Commission proposed the creation of the entry / exit registration system (TEU) and presented a Communication paving the way to an efficient and effective Union Security. Furthermore, September approved single Union certification for the aviation security equipment.

More recently, to 14 September 2016, the Commission presented its Communication on "Strengthening security in a world characterized by mobility", which confirmed the need to strike the right balance between ensuring the mobility and safety enhancement, while facilitating legal entry into the Schengen area without the need for visas. Furthermore, to 6 October European Border Guard and Coast Guard became operational, only 9 months after the Commission's proposal in December, which is a clear indication of commitment to enhance the management and security of the EU external borders.

The creation by President Juncker a special portfolio for Security Union, August 2016, It demonstrates the importance attached by the European Commission to accelerate the reaction against the terrorist threat.