French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that in the light of what has happened in London France is reintroducing European Union border controls. There is a clause within the Schengen Agreement which allows for controls to be reinstated and Sarkozy said that this had been activated by France. The decision is described as temporary. Such suspensions have occured in the past for sporting events (or in the case of Spain for EU summits), but this idea of ‘temporary’ might be a little longer.
There is suggestion in the Italian press that the Netherlands may also have done so, but I still can’t find confirmation. Italy has explicitly said it isn’t going to suspend. The UK of course isn’t party to the Schengen agreement.
To all,
The legal basis that allows a Schengen State to restrict the freedom of movement in the Schengen area at its internal borders is article 2.2 of the Schengen Convention.
It says that, where public policy or national security so require, a Contracting Party may, after consulting the other Contracting Parties, decide that for a limited period national border checks appropriate to the situation shall be carried out at internal borders. If public policy or national security require immediate action, the Contracting Party concerned shall take the necessary measures and at the earliest opportunity shall inform the other Contracting Parties thereof.
Martin
MediaVisa.net