Malta to lift sea border controls on December 21

Ivan Camilleri in Brussels

The EU's committee of permanent representatives has given its stamp of approval to Malta joining the Schengen borderless area by the end of the year.

The development follows positive results of various inspections carried out by EU officials in Malta and in its overseas representations over the past two years.

An EU Presidency source in Brussels confirmed yesterday that Malta has managed to make the grade and that it will be able to lift its border controls at its sea ports as from December 21, in time for the beginning of the Christmas holiday season.

The source added that Malta will also be able to remove border controls at the airport from the end of next March. Reciprocally, the members of the Schengen area - all EU member states except the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania - will remove border entry checks for all Maltese passport holders.

Malta has been hoping to be able to join the first wave of Schengen enlargement since its EU accession in 2004. It was given the green light to do, along with eight other EU member states, during a meeting of EU representatives (Coreper). Cyprus, the 10th state to have joined the EU in 2004, has decided to keep its borders in place for another year.

The sources said that the final technical go ahead by justice ministers who, according to the EU Treaty, have to rubber stamp this decision, has been postponed by a month so that the European Parliament can conclude its talks on the issue. The EP only has a consultative function in this area.

"Originally, we were planning to give the EU ministerial assent later on this week during a meeting of justice and home affairs ministers in Brussels. However, since the EP asked for more time to conclude its discussions over the new member states we have now put the issue on the agenda of the December Justice and Home Affairs Council. This is only a technicality. Malta can now be assured that it will be joining Schengen by the end of this year," the source said.

The EU's Schengen Treaty is an EU agreement between member states setting out common border control rules with the main objective being the abolishment of passport checks on travellers. It provides for stronger controls on the area's fringes as well as closer cooperation between police forces.

In order to become eligible for Schengen entry, Malta had to implement a series of measures over the past years to beef up its internal border controls, particularly at the airport and sea port, its main points of entry.

Malta International Airport has invested Lm1.5 million in a new wing to cater for the arrival and departure of Schengen passengers and the same had to be done at the sea passenger terminal in Valletta.

A new section had to be created at the police headquarters, called the Sirene Unit, which will administer the Schengen Information System, an EU-wide IT data system, and coordinate with other Schengen area member states. This section will include 40 police officers working on a 24-hour basis all year round.

Another change will affect Malta's overseas missions which will now have to start issuing visas on behalf of all EU member states.

A collaboration agreement has just been signed between Malta, Austria and Italy stipulating that the two other countries will start issuing visas on Malta's behalf in places where the island is not physically present.

Source - Times of Malta