Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 July 2013
518. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on the agreement made during the Irish EU Presidency on the creation of a European border surveillance system, EUROSUR; the implications of this for here; the State body that will take responsibility for it in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36190/13]
View answerThe Irish Presidency successfully concluded negotiations with the European Parliament on the Regulation establishing the European border surveillance system (EUROSUR). It is expected that formal adoption of the Regulation will take place in time for the system to come into effect by the end of the year. The aim of EUROSUR is to reinforce the control of the Schengen external borders. In particular, EUROSUR will establish a mechanism for member states' authorities carrying out border surveillance activities to share operational information and to cooperate with each other and with the FRONTEX Agency in order to reduce the number of irregular immigrants entering the EU undetected, and to increase internal security by preventing cross-border crime, such as trafficking in human beings and the smuggling of drugs. It will also contribute to the protecting and saving the lives of migrants; particularly those at risk on the high seas where tragically lives have been lost of persons in small or makeshift craft seeking to reach European shores.
The regulation will apply to the surveillance of land and sea external borders of the member states in the Schengen Area. It may also be applied to the surveillance of air borders as well as to checks at border crossing points if the member states voluntarily provide such information to EUROSUR. It is envisaged that the application of the EUROSUR regulation to the member states located at the southern and eastern external borders will start from December 2013 and to the remaining participating member states from December 2014.
The Regulation constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in which Ireland does not take part in the border provisions, in accordance with Council Decision 2002/192/EC of 28 February 2002. Ireland is therefore not bound by it or subject to its application. The United Kingdom are in a similar position. However, the Regulation provides for the possibility of close cooperation and exchanges of information with Ireland and the United Kingdom on the basis of bilateral or multilateral agreements between Ireland and the United Kingdom and one or several neighbouring Member States or through regional networks based on these agreements which may assist in better achieving the objectives of EUROSUR.
For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that, separately, with the objective of protecting the integrity of the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangement, Ireland and the United Kingdom cooperate closely on a range of measures aimed at securing the external borders of the CTA. The nature of this cooperation is much the same as that envisaged under the EUROSUR arrangement and involves daily operational cooperation between the immigration authorities of both countries.
