• Home /
• Statewatch Database /
• SCHENGEN: New date set for SIS (1)

SCHENGEN: New date set for SIS (1)

01 January 1991

SCHENGEN: New date set for SIS
artdoc August=1994

The Executive Committee of the Schengen Agreement meeting in
Berlin on 27 June agreed yet another `new' start date (the fifth)
of October for the abolition of border controls on people. The
operation of the Schengen Information System (SIS, a computerised
database with information on asylum-seekers, immigrants,
`undesirable' persons and police files) is now set for September
(see Statewatch vol 4 no 3). The SIS will initially have data on
1 million people and data on false passports, car thefts and arms
traffic.
Mr Schmidbauer, the German Chancellory State Secretary, said
it would become operational in at least five of the nine Schengen
member countries - Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and
Luxembourg - and barring unexpected difficulties in Spain and
Portugal too. The other two members, Italy and Greece, were still
encountering technical difficulties.
The meeting also agreed that Austria - which joins the EU in
January 1995 - could have observer status and that cooperation
with Switzerland would be stepped up. Denmark's request for
observer status was not expected to present any problems and
negotiations were underway. However, requests by the UK and
Ireland to have access to the SIS without joining the Schengen
Agreement was left on the table - both countries holding the view
that border controls must be maintained.
Agence Europe 27.6.94.

Statewatch, Vol 4 no 4, July-August 1994