The following persons took part in the meeting at the Ministry of Interior and Administration as well: Mr Wiesław Tarka, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Mr Grzegorz Bliźniuk, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Inspector Arkadiusz Pawelczyk, First Deputy of the Chief of Police and Mr Lucjan Bełza, Deputy Commander of the Border Guard.
At midnight of 21 December 2007, border control on the Polish land and sea border with other European Union countries will no longer take place. Poland enters into the Schengen area, thus completing a few years’ preparation of the public administration, the Police and Border Guard. This is the most important event since Poland’s accession to the European Union. The official ceremony inaugurating Polish membership in the Schengen group will take place on the border between Poland, Czech Republic and Germany. According to the adopted schedule, we will have to wait until 31 March 2008 for the Schengen facilitations concerning the air border.
A political decision on Poland entering the Schengen area was made yesterday, 8 November, at the meeting of the European Union Justice and Internal Affairs Council of Ministers in Brussels. The Minister of Interior and Administration, Mr Władysław Stasiak, received congratulations from Franco Frattini, the EU Justice Commissioner. The Presidency representative, Mr Rui Perreira, Minister of Internal Affairs of Portugal stated that all requirements concerning the entry of Poland into the Schengen area have been unambiguously fulfilled.
”At night of 20/21 December 2007 the border gates will be opened and the border control on a internal Polish border with other European countries will no longer take place,” said among others, Minister Władysław Stasiak. “Before Christmas Poland will be included in the Schengen area, which means freedom to travel for our citizens; we will be able to move across the area of 24 European countries, without the need to submit to border control. “
Undoubtedly, entering into the Schengen area is a great success for Poland.
Minister Władysław Stasiak reminded that several years of preparation meant a huge effort for many public institutions, services and formations, including Border Guard and the Police. During the preparations, an efficient Schengen Information System was created, the reform of Border Guard was carried out and the eastern border control was strengthened, since this is now an external EU border.
Mr. Wiesław Tarka, the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Interior and Administration, coordinated the international cooperation concerning the preparations.
The state of Polish preparations was examined by nine evaluation missions of the European Union, all of which were successful. The remarks included in the last report stressed the great impression the Polish accomplishments made on the European Commission representatives. Poland is judged as a country which made much effort and mobilised itself greatly.
Minister Stasiak thanked all institutions and persons involved in preparations for the entry of Poland into the Schengen area.
Implementation of the IT system, creation of efficient Polish Schengen Information System Component, adjustment of teleinformation systems for institutional users in a way allowing the cooperation with SIS and execution of the National Information System, alongside with the central unit of the Polish SIS Component and Visa Information System (VIS) Component were supervised by Mr Grzegorz Bliźniuk, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Interior and Administration, who explained the operation of SIS.
Schengen Information System (SIS) is a basic tool for EU countries’ safety protection; in practice it is a huge, interactive database of persons sought-after and unauthorised on the territory of EU countries, and a criminal records database regularly updated by the police and border guards of the countries within the area. Thanks to the access to SIS, the police and border guards know about every criminal offence committed on the territory of Member States. A person who committed a crime in Portugal will not be able to feel safe in Poland, Estonia or other Schengen countries. Approximately 20,000 access positions - SIS terminals – are available at the Police and over 3,500 at the Border Guard. Since September, SIS has been operating in practice and first successes can be noticed: only in Poland 3,000 hits were made in the system, i.e. localising unauthorised persons having a criminal record in Police or Border Guards of the EU countries registers.
The Head of Department assured that liberalised travelling conditions around Schengen countries will not increase the risk of terrorism or organised crime.
Thanks to SIS and entry into the Schengen area, our safety will improve – assured Minister Grzegorz Bliźniuk.
Minister Władysław Stasiak confirmed that Border Guard would remain a significant element of protection of internal EU borders.
”Not only will Border Guard not be dissolved but its competences will be broadened, especially in regards to operational and identification measures.” said Minister Władysław Stasiak. “Border Guard will carry out their tasks in a more intense way, cooperating with the Police, combating human trafficking and organised crime. The State does not renounce its functions, as a linking between information systems in 24 European countries, favourable for our security, is taking place. We are in the course of organising a mutual Polish-German Police and Customs Cooperation Centre in Świecko”.
In the opinion of Minister Władysław Stasiak, the entry of Poland into the Schengen area will not cause problems on the eastern Polish border. The Ministry of Interior and Administration prepared the assumptions for bilateral agreements on the so-called small-scale cross-border traffic. Apart from that, the Schengen visas will contribute to reduction of queues and, although control on the borders with Belarus, Ukraine and Russia will become tightened; for Ukrainian and Belarusian citizens the visas will be cheaper (EUR 35) than for other countries’ citizens (EUR 60), as well as cheap and free of charge entry visas will be introduced authorising for the entry on the Polish territory only (the so-called national quota). Above all, facilitations are to be related to the so-called small-scale cross-border traffic. An increasingly modern border crossing infrastructure, which is being regularly modernised, will help servicing the cross-border traffic.
The cost of Polish preparations for the entry into the Schengen area amounted to over PLN 1,200 million, it was covered by the Schengen Fund, Norwegian Financial Mechanism and the resources of the national budget.
website text version - WAI
