Informal agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on amendments to the Schengen Border Code

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union reached an informal agreement on 5 December 2016 regarding the proposal from the European Commission to bring in compulsory systematic checks of all travellers, including European Union citizens, against relevant databases when crossing the EU's external borders.

The proposal was put forward by the Commission in December 2015, following the recommendation from the Council in the aftermath of a major terrorist incident on European soil. The Parliament's civil liberties committee approved its negotiating position in June 2016.

European Parliament: Press Release, 05.12.16: Mandatory checks at EU external borders: deal done by MEPs and ministers http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20161121IPR52158/

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 07.12.16: Schengen Borders Code: agreement to reinforce checks at external borders http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2016/12/07-systematic-checks/

EUObserver, 06.12.16: ID and police checks await all who enter and leave the EU https://euobserver.com/justice/136162

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