Communication: Assessment of Greece’s Action Plan to remedy the serious deficiencies identified in the 2015 evaluation on the application of the Schengen acquis in the field of management of the external border

On 7 March, the EU Heads of State or Government agreed to take forward, as a matter of priority, all elements of the Commission's "Back to Schengen" Roadmap, so as to end temporary internal border controls and re-establish the normal functioning of the Schengen area before the end of the year.

The Commission Communication detailed a series of measures to restore the normal functioning of the Schengen area, while giving full support to Member States under pressure. In particular, it set out measures to address deficiencies in the management of the EU’s external borders. It is rectifying these deficiencies that will allow for controls exceptionally reintroduced at internal borders to be lifted. The Roadmap showed how the procedures laid down in the Schengen rules could be used to restore order to the functioning of the Schengen system before the end of the year.

Among those measures is the presentation of an Action Plan by Greece to implement the recommendations made by the Council to address identified deficiencies in border management. This report is another stage foreseen in the process, a Commission assessment of the Action Plan presented by the Greek authorities.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Implementing the Roadmap Back to Schengen: Commission assesses Action Plan prepared by Greece http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-implementing-the-roadmap-back-to-schengen-commission-assesses-action-plan-prepared-by-greece/

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