PURPOSE: setting the date on which the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and the Slovak Republic may apply some of the Schengen acquis communautaire.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2007/471/EC on the application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the Schengen Information System in the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic
BACKGROUND: the Act of Accession, which bestows membership on the new EU Member States, specifies, in Article 3 (2) that the new Member States may only apply certain provisions relating to the Schengen acquis on condition that the Member States concerned fulfil certain criteria. The exact Schengen provisions to which Article 3 (2) apply are set out in Annex to the Council Decisions and include, amongst others, the installation and functioning of Sisnet; the SIRENE Manual; the introduction of new functions for SIS in the fight against terrorism, and the gradual abolition of checks at common borders as regards SIS for issuing registration certificates for vehicles.
CONTENT: the purpose of this Council Decision, therefore, is to allow the countries listed above to apply the Schengen body of law as listed in Annex I and following Council verification that each of these countries can ensure a satisfactory level of data protection.
Real SIS data will be transferred to the Member States concerned as of 7 July 2007 and as from 1 September 2007 the countries concerned will be able to enter data onto the SIS as well as using SIS data.
A separate Council Decision will be taken at a later date for the lifting of checks at internal borders. Until such time certain restrictions on the use of SIS will remain.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 7 July 2007.