Zeitpunkt für Schengen-Erweiterung weiterhin ungewiss[en] 

The Commission had recently announced that the Schengen area, allowing border-free travel within the EU, will not come into effect until two years after the initial 2007 deadline for including the ten new member states. The Commission has blamed technical problems such as the installation of the SIS II control system, which links national passport and other databases. 

The three documents on the Schengen Information System were adopted by a large majority. Rapporteur Carlos Coelho (EPP) said that SIS II would help to strengthen external borders and security.

While the adopted reports only lay out the legal basis for SIS II, the question of the Schengen-zone enlargement timeline is still pending. Justice and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini referred to technical problems as the reason for the delay. He said: "I can say very sincerely that at this moment, only Slovenia would be technically capable of sticking to the existing timetable." The Schengen enlargement delay was also discussed among MEPs during the debate, where representatives of the new member states urged a speeding-up of efforts to find a compromise.

A spokesperson said the Parliament intended to send a signal to achieve an adoption in first reading. Nevertheless, the controversial issue of allowing intelligence services to have access to the database, brought forward by the Council on a German initiative, was not included. Therefore, an adoption in first reading might be at risk.

Germany had demanded to include a clause, which explicitly allows access for those who can make entries into the database. Giving access to intelligence services is important for Germany, as it is strictly separated from the police and thus has no other means of accessing the database.

Rapporteur Carlos Coelho from the EPP group said: "The proposal to give access to the SIS II to the intelligence services does not make sense as we cannot increase the demands on personal data or, on the other hand, open access to structures in the member states which cannot be, fully or partially, under the scrutiny of the authorities responsible for data protection."

Finnish Minister Paula Lehtomäki said on behalf of the presidency before the vote in EP: "In the next few weeks, the Council will discuss the outcome of the plenary voting of Parliament. I believe that we can reach a solution with Parliament in the first reading. I want to emphasise that we are now very close to a solution in this important legislative issue."