The Council took note of the announcement by Mr MONTI that following the opinions submitted by Parliament the Commission proposed to make certain amendments to its proposals for a directive concerning the abolition of checks at internal borders and the right of third-country nationals to travel within the Community. However, the Commission did not intend to amend its proposal on the abolition of restrictions to the right of travel and residence within the Community of workers and their families, and on the abolition of restrictions to the right of travel and residence within the Community of nationals of Member States as far as the establishment and provision of services was concerned.

Following the discussion held by the Internal Market Council on 28 May, and in response to a request made at that time by the French delegation in particular, the Council examined a number of issues that had been raised by the proposal for a directive put forward by the Commission on 24 August 1995. In this connection, the Council noted the statements made by several delegations, which indicated among other things that as well as pursuing the objective of providing freedom of movement for persons within the Community the proposals concerned important issues such as immigration and homeland security. It had been recognised that these aspects, along with accompanying measures designed to achieve the effective abolition of internal border checks, came under the provisions of the third pillar. One of the delegations repeated that it was opposed in principle to the approach being adopted by the Commission, though this did not rule out some element of cooperation in this area between the Member States within the framework of the third pillar. The Commission for its part indicated that it would keep its proposals as they were until Parliament had given its opinion, which was expected in July. In conclusion, the President asked the Permanent Representatives Committee to continue with its work of examining the proposals concerned with a view to the discussions being resumed within the Council (Internal Market/Justice and Home Affairs).

The aim of the current proposal was to give concrete expression to the objective of Article 7a of the EC Treaty, namely to create an area without internal borders in which the free movement of goods, services, capital and persons was guaranteed, by creating such an area in the domain of the free movement of persons, which was the only domain in which the objective had still to be fully realised. Parliament had yet to deliver an opinion on the matter. Having concluded its debate, the Council asked the Permanent Representatives Committee to continue its examination of the proposal.

The Committee of the Regions welcomed the Commission’s proposal for a directive on the right of third-country nationals to travel in the Community and on the abolition of controls at internal borders, these measures representing an important contribution to the free movement of persons as guaranteed by the single European market. This freedom of movement, which allowed third-country nationals to make visits of short duration to all EU Member States, would especially promote travel and tourism within the Community. As regards the provision of services by European undertakings employing third-country nationals who were required to travel to the territory of another Member State in order to perform these services, the CoR, while respecting the conditions imposed by the Member State concerned, stated that it supported the idea of a special entry permit being issued to the employees (third-country nationals) of the aforementioned undertakings. In addition, the CoR drew attention to the fact that the regions of the European Union were attempting to help third-country nationals escape their isolation by introducing an improved integration policy that would eradicate social conflict. Integration could also be promoted through actions in the field of cultural and education policy. In this connection the CoR recalled the decision taken by the Council on 30 November 1994 regarding a joint action on ‘facilities for the movement of students who are third-country nationals residing in a Member State’, and regretted that this joint action did not establish facilities for the movement of third-country nationals who had unlimited leave to remain and of nationals participating in group travel activities (e.g. sporting associations and cultural excursions). However, freedom of movement for third-country nationals could not be introduced at the expense of public security. The CoR underlined the need for certain measures to be adopted in order to offset any deficiencies that might arise in respect of security and for work to continue on the directives even after the introduction of measures deriving from the third pillar. Finally, with a view implementing more effectively, within the single market, greater freedom of movement for EU citizens and third-country nationals, the CoR advocated that at the Intergovernmental Conference of 1996 the key areas of justice and home affairs should no longer be entrusted to intergovernmental cooperation but rather should be incorporated into the EC Treaty.