Opening remarks
Honourable Members,
Together with the European Parliament and the Council we jointly agreed to work together and prioritise the legislative work on initiatives, where European citizens are clearly expecting us to deliver concrete results.
Migration and security are at the very top of our citizens concerns as we see in survey after survey.
Among the challenges we identified was to close our information gap on visa free travellers, while in parallel facilitating legitimate travel.
ETIAS was therefore an immediate priority. Today, we deliver on this priority. For this, I would like to thank the rapporteur, Ms Gal, the shadow rapporteurs, and all those involved for their hard work on this file.
Honourable Members,
Let me recall and highlight a few aspects about ETIAS and its concrete benefits.
First, it will strengthen internal security and the quality of Schengen border management: Today, border guards have limited time and information when making their assessment on entry.
They have no prior information on visa-exempt travellers, especially at land borders.
With ETIAS, they will benefit from an additional and broader security and migration risk assessment than at the border crossing point, and before the traveller arrives to the Schengen borders.
With the system in place, we should also see a decrease in the number of refusals of entry at the borders.
In addition to the system contributing to the reduction of migratory risks, persons that pose a security risk will be identified and denied travel authorisation, before they arrive.
Anyone who is denied authorisation, will not waste time and money travelling to Schengen border crossing points.
This will also reduce the costs of return for carriers who have to repatriate fewer passengers from air, sea and land borders.
Second, while enhancing border management and internal security, ETIAS will at the same time also facilitate travel for visa-exempt third country nationals.
Applying for a travel authorisation will be quick, simple and cheap and will not require more than a travel document, credit card and access to internet.
A vast majority of applicants will receive a positive reply within minutes.
If additional information or documentation would be needed, or even the need to have an interview, different possibilities will be offered, taking into account the situation of the traveller. Third, and this is a crucial point, the system will also help to safeguard our visa liberalisation policy – something which is of course a key component of the EU's external policies.
Several visa liberalisation dialogues are progressing with EU neighbours.
Visa liberalisation is also an important tool to promote reforms in partner countries and contribute to overall stability and good cooperation with third countries.
ETIAS is of course not a visa, but it will compensate, in a relatively light way, for the loss of information on travellers who were previously visa-required and hence present in the Visa Information System (VIS).
With our Visa Information System proposal of last May, we ensure also that ETIAS and VIS work smoothly together, and there is no information gap leading to migratory or security risks all in full respect of fundamental rights.
Honourable Members,
Please let me now touch upon some of the data protection aspects of the agreement – what data is collected, its retention and how it is protected.
The robustness of the risk assessments to be performed by the system is of course related to the data collected and to the checks performed against other systems.
The outcome on this point is very balanced. It will allow ETIAS to achieve its objectives and function efficiently while at the same time minimising the data collected.
The system will not require the collection of additional information than what is strictly necessary.
I appreciate the contribution of the European Parliament to striking a constructive agreement with the Council on this point.
As regards data retention, the agreement is fully in line with the European Parliament's proposal on extending the retention period only if the applicant freely and explicitly consents.
And in terms of data protection, the proposal was built to be fully compatible with our new data protection framework.
As you know, the extensive discussions reflects a delineation between the General Data Protection Regulation and the police Directive, without affecting their scope of application.
Data are protected against risk of abuse.
Access is restricted to specific persons within designated competent authorities.
Transfer of data to third parties is prohibited except for exceptional cases where the Entry/Exit System would not already contain necessary data.
Travellers have the right to access, rectification and deletion of their personal data stored in the ETIAS.
Supervision is provided by the European Data Protection Supervisor and independent national supervisory authorities.
The system will be built in accordance with the principles of data protection by design and by default.
Moreover, a fundamental rights guidance board will, at the suggestion of the European Parliament, reinforce and advise the ETIAS screening board by appraising and issuing opinions on the impact on fundamental rights and of implementing ETIAS screening rules.
Honourable Members,
Today, we are ready to pursue our joint commitment to the full and continue to deliver results to the benefit of our citizens.
We should rapidly start to develop ETIAS so that it is up and running in 2021.
I am looking forward to the debate and thank you for your continued commitment to truly European initiatives which enhance our external border management.
Closing remarks
Honourable Members,
Needless to repeat that external border management is the very core of our work to enhance security and improve our management of migration.
Together we are implementing initiatives which make a clear difference in this domain.
ETIAS will promote mobility between the Schengen area and third countries while contributing to the fight against terrorism and serious crimes, and safeguarding fundamental rights.
In this context, I welcome that you have also recently reached an agreement with the Council on eu-LISA and SIS.
On SIS, one of the main priorities of the ETIAS rapporteur was to ensure coherence between SIS and ETIAS.
A big effort was made during ETIAS negotiations on this.
VIS, together with ETIAS and the recently adopted Entry Exit System will together form part of a single platform for third country nationals visiting the EU.
ETIAS will fill a significant information gap on visa-exempt travellers.
The VIS proposal will close the gap on long stay documents' holders.
Together, the three systems will allow verifications of third country nationals crossing our external border into the Schengen area for short and long stays.
It is therefore of paramount importance that the development of the three systems is synchronised.
As ETIAS foresees interoperability with our other EU information systems for borders, migration and security, it not only brings added value in itself, but it also reinforces the added value of other EU information systems.
The reinforced eu-LISA will be the beating heart of our work to develop these systems, put them into effect and ensure their smooth and seamless functioning.
For this reason, I call on you to reach a swift agreement with the Council on the VIS proposal, so that together, we can add the last missing piece of the new EU information platform for borders and security.
I am looking forward to the start of the development of ETIAS, and the other information systems we have in the pipeline.
You remember that it was one of my priorities, from the very first moment I was designated Commissioner responsible for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship. I am more than happy to share this responsibility with you, and most importantly to share the results that we bring together.
I encourage you to support these important pieces of legislation when you vote later tomorrow.