The evaluation of Slovenia's preparedness to enter the Schengen border regime will get underway in 2006, with the country hoping to enter the system in October 2007, State Secretary for European Affairs Marcel Koprol told STA recently.
Slovenia's readiness to enter the Schengen regime will be evaluated in two rounds and will encompass an assessment of the control of the land, sea and air border, as well as police cooperation, data protection and visa policy, the Interior Ministry explained.
The first round will take place between February and July 2006, whereas the second will be carried out in the first half of 2007. It will also assess whether the Schengen aspirants comply with the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) standards.
If SIS II is implemented by the EU by spring 2007 and the EU Council finds that the evaluation procedure has been completed successfully, Slovenia could join the Schengen border regime in October 2007, the ministry added.
After Slovenia joins the Schengen regime, the border between Slovenia and Croatia will become the external border of the Schengen system, while Slovenia's border with Italy, Austria and Hungary will become an internal border in the system.
According to Koprol, the evaluation includes an extensive questionnaire, which Slovenia sent to Brussels on 1 December last year. Moreover, EU evaluation teams are expected to pay a number of visits to the country.
Between April and September 2007 the EU Council is scheduled to review the results and decide on expanding the regime to include the EU newcomers. "So far Slovenia is on schedule," Koprol added.
His view was echoed by the Interior Ministry, which said that the country will be ready for the regime if the Schengen implementation programme that deals with the drawing of EU funds for the project is fully implemented.
The EU has set aside EUR 119m to Slovenia for measures that will allow Slovenia to meet heightened border security standards demanded by Schengen. Slovenia must use up the funds by October 2007.
If evaluations or the EU Council establishes that Slovenia does not fulfil all the necessary conditions, the country will have to draft and implement an action plan to remedy the deficiencies, whereupon a new evaluation would be carried out, the ministry said.
According to the ministry, Slovenia currently faces difficulties in ensuring the necessary infrastructure at airports and seaports. Also, finding the required number of police officers for the external border could pose a problem for the country.
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