Prague, Jan 18 (CTK) – The Czech government discussed yesterday a package of the European Commission’s proposals tightening border protection which, State Secretary for European Affairs Tomas Proza wrote to CTK, contains measures that the country has long been pushing for, mainly a border and coast guard.
Prouza texted to CTK that the government supported the proposal to establish a European border and coast guard and that it is interested in the negotiations about it being as quick as possible.
The package contains nothing which the Czech Republic would be rejecting. “It corresponds to what we have been saying for three quarters of a year,” Prouza wrote.
The EC presented the “border package” last December. It also contains a change to the Schengen border code reintroducing border checks on the outer border of the area for EU citizens, too.
A Readmission authority would be part of the newly established system of outer border protection that would supervise the return of unsuccessful asylum applicants to the country of their origin.
The EC’s proposal is yet to be approved by the European Parliament and the European Council that is comprised of the government heads and presidents of the EU member countries.
It ensues from the framework position the Czech government approved yesterday that the debate between the member states will mainly focus on the possibility of deploying European border guards even without the prior agreement of the country concerned.
The proposal in this form was supported last year by the Czech Republic, France, Germany and the Netherlands that has presided the EU since January 1. Hungary and Poland was opposed to it.
Prouza said the EC clearly defines the procedures of deployment border guards. The country concerned will be informed of the problem and called for to deal with it. Unless it reacted to the call, joint forces could be deployed directly.
Prouza said the Czech Republic considers these rules to be correct. “The priority is to preserve the operation of Schengen. If the country concerned did not want to cooperate, it could be expelled from Schengen,” Prouza added.
