RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion on behalf of the European Union of the Agreement between the European Union and Iceland on supplementary rules in relation to the instrument for financial support for external borders and visa, as part of the Internal Security Fund, for the period 2014 to 2020

30.5.2018 - (09228/2017 – C8‑0101/2018 – 2017/0088(NLE)) - ***

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Rapporteur: Anders Primdahl Vistisen

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion on behalf of the European Union of the Agreement between the European Union and Iceland on supplementary rules in relation to the instrument for financial support for external borders and visa, as part of the Internal Security Fund, for the period 2014 to 2020

(09228/2017 – C8‑0101/2018 – 2017/0088(NLE))

(Consent)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the draft Council decision (09228/2017),

–  having regard to the draft Agreement between the European Union and Iceland on supplementary rules in relation to the instrument for financial support for external borders and visa, as part of the Internal Security Fund, for the period 2014 to 2020 (09253/2017),

–  having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 77(2) and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C8‑0101/2018),

–  having regard to Rule 99(1) and (4) and Rule 108(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A8-0196/2018),

1.  Gives its consent to the conclusion of the agreement;

2.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of Iceland.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

In 2014, the European Parliament and the Council adopted, as part of the Internal Security Fund, the instrument for financial support for external borders and visa (ISF Borders and Visa) for the period 2014 to 2020 (Regulation (EU) 515/2014).

The main aim of the ISF Borders and Visa is to ensure a high level of security in the Union while facilitating legitimate travel and tackling illegal immigration through a uniform and high level of control of the external border and the effective processing of Schengen visas. The funding of around EUR 2.8 billion up to 2020 - mostly via national programmes - is to be used inter alia for building infrastructure needed at border crossing points and for border surveillance, funding the IT systems required by the European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR), as well as for actions to facilitate efficient management of migration flows, processing of visa applications and consular co-operation.

Article 5(7) of Regulation (EU) 515/2014 stipulates that the countries associated with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis participate in the instrument in accordance with its provisions and that arrangements are to be concluded on their financial contributions and the supplementary rules necessary for such participation. This proposal - the draft Agreement with Iceland- is to establish exactly those arrangements, namely to enable the Commission to assume responsibility for the implementation of the budget of the instrument in this associated country and to determine Iceland’s contribution to the Union budget in respect of this instrument (around 563 999 EUR per year for 2016, 2017 and 2018, while Iceland’s contribution for 2019 and 2020 will be determined in 2019 on the basis of the formula to calculate the financial contributions in the Annex of the Agreement).

Your rapporteur supports this proposal. The ISF Borders and Visa establishes a solidarity mechanism, binding the participating states by the same European rules on the control of external borders in each other's interests and on each other's behalf. In your rapporteur’s view the proposal will serve to accomplish a key objective of the Schengen acquis, namely to share responsibility for an efficient, high and uniform level of control at the external borders in order, to ensure, on one hand, a uniform and high level of control and protection of the external borders, including by the tackling of illegal immigration and, on the other hand, the smooth crossing of the external borders, in compliance with the Union’s commitment to fundamental freedoms and human rights.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Title	Agreement between the EU and Iceland on supplementary rules in relation to the instrument for financial support for external borders and visa, as part of the Internal Security Fund, for the period 2014 to 2020
References	09228/2017 – C8-0101/2018 – COM(2017)0199 – 2017/0088(NLE)
Date of consultation / request for consent	6.3.2018
Committee responsible        Date announced in plenary	LIBE 15.3.2018
Committees asked for opinions        Date announced in plenary	AFET 15.3.2018	BUDG 15.3.2018
Not delivering opinions        Date of decision	AFET 30.5.2017	BUDG 29.5.2017
Rapporteurs        Date appointed	Anders Primdahl Vistisen 31.8.2017
Discussed in committee	14.5.2018	24.5.2018
Date adopted	24.5.2018
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	33 1 3
Members present for the final vote	Asim Ademov, Caterina Chinnici, Daniel Dalton, Frank Engel, Cornelia Ernst, Kinga Gál, Ana Gomes, Nathalie Griesbeck, Sylvie Guillaume, Monika Hohlmeier, Brice Hortefeux, Filiz Hyusmenova, Eva Joly, Barbara Kudrycka, Cécile Kashetu Kyenge, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Monica Macovei, Claude Moraes, Péter Niedermüller, Sergei Stanishev, Helga Stevens, Traian Ungureanu, Marie-Christine Vergiat, Cecilia Wikström, Kristina Winberg, Tomáš Zdechovský, Auke Zijlstra
Substitutes present for the final vote	Gérard Deprez, Maria Grapini, Anna Hedh, Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio, Jean Lambert, Andrejs Mamikins, Angelika Mlinar
Substitutes under Rule 200(2) present for the final vote	Andrea Bocskor, Maria Gabriela Zoană, Tadeusz Zwiefka
Date tabled	30.5.2018

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

33	+
ALDE	Gérard Deprez, Nathalie Griesbeck, Filiz Hyusmenova, Angelika Mlinar, Cecilia Wikström
ECR	Daniel Dalton, Monica Macovei, Helga Stevens
PPE	Asim Ademov, Andrea Bocskor, Frank Engel, Kinga Gál, Monika Hohlmeier, Brice Hortefeux, Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio, Barbara Kudrycka, Traian Ungureanu, Tomáš Zdechovský, Tadeusz Zwiefka
S&D	Caterina Chinnici, Ana Gomes, Maria Grapini, Sylvie Guillaume, Anna Hedh, Cécile Kashetu Kyenge, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Andrejs Mamikins, Claude Moraes, Péter Niedermüller, Sergei Stanishev, Maria Gabriela Zoană
VERTS/ALE	Eva Joly, Jean Lambert

1	-
ENF	Auke Zijlstra

3	0
EFDD	Kristina Winberg
GUE/NGL	Cornelia Ernst, Marie-Christine Vergiat

Key to symbols:

+  :  in favour

-  :  against

0  :  abstention