TOURCOING, France (Reuters) – The European Union’s border-free Schengen space ought to be managed by common ministerial conferences, identical to the euro zone, French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Wednesday, including that this might begin as early as subsequent month.
National safety considerations, waves of migration and, most not too long ago, the coronavirus pandemic have led to the re-emergence of border controls within the Schengen zone and far criticism of the way it capabilities, eroding what had been hailed as a milestone achievement in Europe’s post-World War Two integration.
Speaking to EU justice and inside ministers, Macron stated what he dubbed the “Schengen Council” would consider how the border-free space was working however would additionally take joint choices and facilitate coordination in instances of disaster.
“This Council can turn out to be the face of a powerful, protecting Europe that’s snug with controlling its borders and due to this fact its future,” he stated within the northern French city of Tourcoing. He stated its inaugural assembly may happen when the EU’s justice and residential affairs ministers subsequent collect, on March 3.
Such a proposal would wish the assist of different member states within the 27-nation bloc to take impact, although French officers say it will not require any change to EU treaties.
The EU has been deeply divided for years in its response to immigration and on the way to police Schengen’s frequent exterior borders, and it stays to be seen how a lot France can obtain throughout its six-month presidency of the EU Council of Ministers – which principally includes setting the agenda for conferences.
But Macron, who’s all however sure to hunt re-election as French president in April in a marketing campaign largely dominated by safety and identification points, stated he hoped {that a} step-by-step method may win over various reluctant EU nations.
“We should reform Schengen,” he stated. “There might be no freedom of motion if we don’t management our exterior borders.”
France has additionally proposed an emergency response mechanism that could possibly be triggered when the bloc’s exterior borders are below menace.
(Reporting by Ardee Napolitano; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Gareth Jones)
