Activites

• 2011/12/30 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Regulation 2011/1342
  • OJ L 347 30.12.2011, p. 0041
• 2011/12/13 Final act signed
• 2011/12/13 End of procedure in Parliament
• #3134
• 2011/12/12 Council Meeting
• 2011/12/12 Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
• 2011/12/01 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • T7-0537/2011 summary

    The European Parliament adopted by 556 votes to 69, with 12 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1931/2006 as regards the inclusion of the Kaliningrad area and certain Polish administrative districts in the eligible border area. Parliament adopted its position at first reading, under the ordinary legislative procedure, taking over the Commission proposal.

• 2011/11/24 Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
  • A7-0398/2011
• 2011/11/23 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• #3121
• 2011/10/27 Council Meeting
  • 3121 summary

    The Council adopted a general approach on a proposal to amend the EU rules on local border traffic (LBT). This will allow the start of contacts with the European Parliament. The Council also adopted a joint declaration of the Council and the Commission which underlines that the solution proposed for the Kaliningrad area does not constitute a precedent for any other regions in relation to the EU local border traffic rules. Finally, the Council took note of a declaration of Poland outlining the measures Poland is taking to provide for a high level of security and transparency. The proposed amendments aim at facilitating border crossings in the Kaliningrad area through the inclusion of the Kaliningrad area and specified and limited Polish administrative districts in the eligible border area. The Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation with a population of almost one million inhabitants became the only enclave within the EU as a consequence of the 2004 EU enlargement.

• #3111
• 2011/09/22 Council Meeting
  • 3111 summary

    The committee held a first exchange of views on a proposal to amend the EU rules on local border traffic (LBT). The proposal aims at facilitating border crossings in the Kaliningrad area through the inclusion of the Kaliningrad area and certain Polish administrative districts in the eligible border area. The presidency underlined that the proposed amendment was a specific solution responding to a unique situation which did not constitute a precedent.The Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation with a population of almost one million inhabitants became the only enclave within the EU as a consequence of the 2004 EU enlargement.The original regulation was adopted in 2006 to ensure that the borders between EU Member States and their non-EU neighbours were not barriers to trade, social and cultural interchange or regional cooperation. It enables derogations, for persons living in a border area, from the general rules on border checks set out in the Schengen Borders Code. The Regulation authorises Member States to conclude bilateral agreements with neighbouring non-EU countries, provided these agreements fully comply with the parameters set by the regulation.

• 2011/09/13 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2011/07/27 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2011)0461 summary

    PURPOSE: to amend Regulation (EC) No 1931/2006 as regards the inclusion of the Kaliningrad area and certain Polish administrative districts in the eligible border area.PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.BACKGROUND: the Council and the European Parliament adopted in 2006 a Regulation laying down rules on local border traffic at the external land borders of the Member States ("Local Border Traffic Regulation") which allows derogating, for persons living in a border area, from the general rules on border checks set out in the Schengen Borders Code. The Regulation authorises Member States to conclude bilateral agreements with neighbouring non-EU countries, provided these agreements fully comply with the parameters set by the Regulation.In February 2011, the Commission concluded in a report that the local border traffic regime makes life significantly easier for people living near the external land borders, while at the same time there is little evidence that the regime is being abused. It also stated that given the specific position of Kaliningrad (the Kaliningrad region of Russia with a population of almost one million inhabitants became the only enclave within the EU as a consequence of the 2004 EU enlargement) an amendment of the Local Border Traffic Regulation may be justified.In order to avoid Kaliningrad's isolation from its immediate neighbours, there is a need to facilitate travel for its inhabitants.For the Regulation to have real effect in that region, a specific border area on the Polish side should be included in the eligible border area as well, in order to facilitate and enhance economic and cultural interchange between the Kaliningrad oblast on the one hand and major centres in the North of Poland on the other.This proposal will contribute to further promoting the strategic partnership between the EU and Russia, in line with the priorities set out in the Roadmap of the Common Space on Freedom, Security and Justice regarding cross-border cooperation and shall be considered in the context of the overall EU- Russia relationship. IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.LEGAL BASIS: Article 77 (2) (b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).CONTENT: this proposal aims to amend Regulation (EC) No 1931/2006 so that the following areas shall be considered as eligible border area, as defined in the Regulation:1. Kaliningrad Oblast2. Polish administrative districts (powiaty) of województwo pomorskie: pucki, m. Gdynia, m. Sopot, m. Gdańsk, gdański, nowodworski, malborski 3. Polish administrative districts (powiaty) of województwo warmińsko-mazurskie: m. Elbląg, elbląski, braniewski, lidzbarski, bartoszycki, m. Olsztyn, olsztyński, kętrzyński, mrągowski, węgorzewski, giżycki, gołdapski, olecki. ’BUDGETARYIMPLICATION: the proposed amendment has no implications for the EU budget.

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/', 'title': 'Home Affairs'}, MALMSTRÖM Cecilia

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2011)0461
• Debate in Council: 3111
• Debate in Council: 3121
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A7-0398/2011
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0537/2011
• : Regulation 2011/1342
• : OJ L 347 30.12.2011, p. 0041

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)