European Communities - 31st Report

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Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Lords to be printed 28 July 1998.

CONTENTS

Summary of Issues Addressed in the Report

PART 1 INTRODUCTION

PART 2 BACKGROUND
    The Origins of the Schengen Agreements
    The Main Elements of the Schengen Convention
        (i) Removing Internal Border Controls
        (ii) Freedom of Movement
        (iii) Police Co-operation
        (iv) Other Forms of Co-operation
        (v) The Schengen Information System
        (vi) Data Protection
            (a) The General Rules
            (b) The Schengen Information System
            (c) Asylum Matters
        (vii) Transport and Movement of Goods
        (viii) The Executive Committee

PART 3 INCORPORATION OF THE SCHENGEN ACQUIS
    Reasons for Incorporation
        Reason 1: Similarity of Objectives of the European Union and Schengen
        Reason 2: The Democratic and Judicial Deficit
    The Amsterdam Legacy
        Title IV of the EC Treaty—A Community Policy on Visas, Asylum, Immigration and the
            Free Movement of Persons
        Title VI of the TEU—Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters
    The Mechanism for Incorporating the Schengen Acquis
    The Draft Council Decisions
        The First Draft Decision: Defining the Schengen Acquis to be Incorporated
        The Second Draft Decision: Allocation to a Legal Base in the EU Treaties

PART 4 SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE
    A. THE IMPLICATIONS OF INCORPORATION FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM
        What will Incorporation mean for the United Kingdom?
        The Government's view
        The practical implications for the United Kingdom
        Is it Acquis?
        The United Kingdom approach to the allocation of the Acquis: First or Third Pillar
        Opting in or staying out?
        The broader context: the impact of incorporation on the enlargement of the Union
        Scrutiny of the Draft Decisions

    B. DETAILED ISSUES RELATED TO THE INCORPORATION OF THE ACQUIS
        The role of the European Parliament
        Defining the Schengen Acquis
        Making Sense of the Acquis
        Publication of the Acquis
        Openness, Transparency and Legal Certainty
        Exceptions to Incorporation
        The Consequences of non-Incorporation
        Progress made in the allocation process
        The Schengen Information System: First or Third Pillar?
        Choice of Legal Bases
            (i) Splitting Acquis provisions between Pillars
            (ii) Dual Legal Bases
            (iii) Too Broad a Legal Base?
            (iv) An Inappropriate Legal Base?
                (a) Articles 95 and 152 of the EC Treaty
                (b) Article 30 of the TEU
        Final Considerations
        Recommendation

PART 5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
    Recommendation

Appendix 1—Membership of Sub-Committee F
Appendix 2—List of witnesses
Appendix 3—Explanatory Memorandum by the Home Office on two draft Council Decisions
    Document No. 7233/1/98, Schengen 14, Rev 1
    Document No. 6816/2/98, Schengen 11, Rev 2
Appendix 4—Matching the Schengen Acquis to Legal Bases in the EU Treaties
    1. A Legal Base in the EC Treaty
    2. A Legal Base in the Treaty on European Union
    3. Legal Bases in the EC Treaty and the TEU
    4. Legal Base in the Schengen Protocol
Appendix 5—Relevant Treaty Texts
    Protocols
    Treaty on European Union
    EC Treaty
Appendix 6—Titles of the Decisions and Declarations of the Executive Committee which form part of the Schengen Acquis
    1993
    1994
    1995
    1996
    1997

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