Schengen: Communication Infrastructure for the Schengen Information System SIS environment

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted, subject to amendments, the consultation report by Carlos COELHO (EPP-ED, PT) approving the proposal for a Council decision on the installation, operation and management of a Communication Infrastructure for the Schengen Information System (SIS) environment. The amendments aim to modify the financial approach of the new communication infrastructure for the SIS as proposed by the Commission.

The report states that if the costs of installing, operating and managing the Communication Infrastructure are to be borne by the general budget of the

European Union, each Member State shall be responsible for bearing the costs incurred by the national database and of its connection to the SIS or S-Testa communication infrastructure. The justification for this being that as the SIS remains a system simply connecting national data bases, it should be financed by the Member States, provided that it stays at national level.

The committee has also decided to table some amendments with a view to strengthening the role of the European Parliament in the whole process. It calls for the Council to coordinate Member States' test activities and validate the test results, keeping the Commission and the European Parliament informed. The report calls for the Commission to adopt the necessary measures (including the adoption of a security plan) relating to the Communication Infrastructure and for it to inform the European Parliament and the Council of the terms of the contract and which national body is the contractor.

Lastly, the report states that the rules of the Financial Regulation have to be respected at all times.