EP suspends cooperation with Council following decision on Schengen area rules

The Conference of Presidents (leaders of political groups and the President of the European Parliament), after an intensive debate, decided today in Strasbourg that the European Parliament would suspend its cooperation with the Council on five dossiers until a satisfactory outcome is achieved on Schengen governance.

The five dossiers covered by the Conference of Presidents' decision are the following:

• Amendment of Schengen border code and Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement. (Rapporteur Georgios Papanikolaou)

• Judicial cooperation in criminal matters: combating attacks against information systems. (Rapporteur Monika Hohlmeier)

• European Investigation Order. (Rapporteur Nuno Melo)

• Budget 2013 aspects relating to Internal Security

• EU Passenger Name Records. (Rapporteur Timothy Kirkhope)

The Conference of Presidents also decided to remove from the July plenary session agenda the Carlos Coelho report on a proposal for a Schengen Evaluation and Monitoring Mechanism and the Renate Weber report on the Reintroduction of Border Controls.

Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament, stated: "It is without precedent that in the middle of the legislative process, one co-legislative chamber excludes the other. The JHA Council's approach of 7 June represents a slap in the face of parliamentary democracy and is unacceptable to the directly elected representatives of European citizens.  This is why the Conference of Presidents is forced to take these severe measures."