The fears were voiced by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso for the media. "This is nonsense.
We have repeatedly said that as far as the Schengen data bases are concerned, we will naturally not share them. The rules of the games are firmly fixed," Vondra said. The fears that on the basis of bilateral agreements with the USA Czechs might provide more data on passengers than under existing agreements between Number of asylum applicants in Czech Republic drops in 2007 ...
EU celebrates extended border ...
Czech police check 5000 foreigners before Schengen entry ... the EU and the USA have been repeatedly heard from various quarters. However, Prague has denied this, stressing that it has never had the intention of going beyond the framework of the EU-U.S. agreements. It also stressed that it does not want to interfere in the EU powers. However, some EU senior officials are concerned that the exchange of data between EU members might be complicated. Barroso said it would be a big problem if a number of varying regimes existed between the EU and the USA. It is very likely that some countries within the Schengen will simply refuse to share the information with the states that will not respect the same rules, Barroso said in an interview published by the server idnes. The Czech Republic recently signed a bilateral memorandum with the USA that is to lift the visas. This has angered some EU countries. Prague is going to discuss the technicalities with the USA that will have to be passed on the basis of this generally political and legally unbinding documents so that the visa can be really lifted. "I consider it great victory that we have formed a group of the countries that has prevented the European Commission from banning our bilateral talks with the USA. The talks will continue," Vondra said, adding that the countries will naturally inform the EC about them. Some other EU countries recently indicated they will follow Prague's example in seeking visa-free relations with the USA. The Czech Republic joined the Schengen area on December 21, 2007, along with Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The area now encompasses 24 countries, extending from Portugal to Estonia. The system has basically altered the work of the foreign police. Its checks, formerly conducted on the border, have been moved inland. People from members of the Schengen zone do not have to undergo any internal border checks. At present, all EU newcomers, except Slovenians, need visas for trips to the USA. From old EU countries, only Greece is not within the U.S. Visa Waiver Programme.
(Ceske Noviny)
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