Key elements of a controversial European agreement allowing for the abolition of passport controls and greater police co-operation are likely to be accepted shortly by Ireland and Britain, The Irish Times has learned.
The Schengen Agreement, which provides for free movement and an end to passport controls between EU member-states and Norway, was incorporated into the Amsterdam Treaty. However, Britain opted out, as did Ireland, in order to preserve the local free travel area between the two islands.
Although still unwilling to abolish passport controls, Britain is ready to sign up to many of the so-called flanking measures attached to the agreement, largely procedures for co-ordinating intelligence dissemination between the immigration and police authorities.
Sources have now confirmed that Britain, and consequently Ireland as well, is likely to signal a willingness to link into important elements of police co-operation, particularly the Schengen Information System (SIS), a computer database linking police and immigration forces, and to collaborate in setting common asylum rules and procedures.
The British government is expected to make the announcement of its intention at a meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers in Brussels on Friday, March 12th.
Irish sources say the announcement is likely to be followed by an indication by the Irish Government that it is now also willing to participate.
Sources say the British are prepared to sign up to two of the three elements of the SIS: a database of stolen vehicles, and a listing of those against whom extradition warrants are being sought.
But they continue to regard the SIS listing of immigrants who are not to be admitted to Schengen countries as effectively giving others a say over who would be admitted to Britain, and thus as an erosion of their sovereign rights to control their borders.
