French border controls slow to come down

Date: 17/07/1997

THE new French government appears unlikely to move quickly to lift its 'temporary' border controls with the Benelux countries which have been in place since the Schengen agreement came into force in March 1996.

Paris insisted on maintaining the frontier checks, which should have been abolished when Schengen came into force, because it disapproved of the Netherlands' liberal soft drugs policy.

It had been thought that the election of Socialist Premier Lionel Jospin in June could lead to a softening of the French line, not least because the incoming leader had suggested during the election campaign that he might consider decriminalising cannabis in France.

But it is now apparent that Paris will not be making any hasty moves to change the status quo. “The new government wants to examine the situation in detail before taking any decisions,” said one diplomat.

French officials argue that while cooperation with The Hague to tackle so-called 'drugs tourism' - French nationals travelling to the Netherlands to stock up on illegal substances - has improved in recent months, more progress is needed. “Things have not moved as far as we would have liked,” said one.

This cautious tone is echoed in The Hague. “I have no indication that much will change,” said one expert on drugs policy.

Observers say that while the government in Paris has changed, President Jacques Chirac still rules the roost in the Elysée Palace. He has always opposed softening France's hard-line approach and, under the country's constitution, the president has ultimate responsibility for foreign policy.

Meanwhile, continuing questions over when Italy, Austria and Greece will become full members of the Schengen zone will be discussed at a summit meeting today (17 July) between Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima and Germany's Helmut Kohl.