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SCHENGEN: France invokes let-out clause

01 July 1995

At the meeting of the Schengen Executive Committee on 29 June France's request to extend the three month suspension on fully implementing the Schengen Agreement was turned down. France then invoked Article 2 of the Agreement to extend its non-participation until the end of the year. The French Minister for European Affairs, Michel Barnier, said they wanted to make ensure a "Schengen that works" after complaining that other members were not implementing it properly. Netherlands, he said, had refused to take back three South American migrants without visas who were detained in France on arrival from Amsterdam. Of 581 asylum-seekers from other Schengen countries detained for entering France "illegally" only 2% had been taken back by their country of origin. The other Schengen members - Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Spain and Portugal - agreed to fully implement the Agreement from 1 July. On 7 July a Luxembourg Justice Ministry official said that they had re-introduced identity checks on travellers arriving from France. France did sign an agreement to police forces of its neighbouring countries to exercise the right of pursuit and observation on French territory (this allow officers to carry firearms for use in self-defence but not to make arrests). Following the agreement with the Nordic Union to allow Norway and Iceland to join the Schengen "acquis" (but not Schengen itself which is only open to EU member states) Sweden followed Finland in making a formal request for observer status (Denmark already has observer status). Belgium is to continue its Presidency of Schengen until the end of 1995 so that Spain could concentrate on its Presidency of the EU. The Netherlands will succeed Belgium for the first half of 1996. Agence Europe, 30.6.95; Guardian 30.6.95;Times 1.7.95; Independent 1.7.95; Reuters 7.7.95.