PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement between the European
Union and Iceland on supplementary rules in relation to the
instrument for financial support for external borders and visa, as
part of the Internal Security Fund, for the period 2014 to
2020.
PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the
act only if Parliament has given its consent to the
act.
BACKGROUND: Regulation
(EU) No 515/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council
establishing, as part of the Internal Security Fund, the instrument
for financial support for external borders and visa entered into
force on 21 May 2014 and became applicable as of 1 January
2014.
Regulation
(EU) No 514/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council
laying down general provisions on the Asylum, Migration and
Integration Fund and on the instrument for financial support for
police cooperation, preventing and combating crime, and crisis
management also entered into force on 21 May 2014 and became
applicable as of 1 January 2014.
Under Regulation (EU) No 515/2014, the provisions of
the Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 apply to the instrument for
financial support for external borders and visa as part of the
Internal Security Fund ('the ISF Borders and
Visa').
This Fund aims to establish a solidarity mechanism
binding the participating states by the same European rules on the
control of external borders in each other's interests and on
each other's behalf.
Regulation (EU) No 515/2014 provides that the
countries associated with the implementation, application and
development of the Schengen acquis participate in the
instrument in accordance with its provisions and that
arrangements are to be concluded on their financial contributions
and the supplementary rules necessary for such
participation.
This is the purpose of this Agreement with
Iceland.
CONTENT: with this proposed Council decision, the
Council is called upon to approve, on behalf of the EU, the
Agreement between the European Union and Iceland on supplementary
rules in relation to the instrument for financial support for
external borders and visa, as part of the Internal Security Fund,
for the period 2014 to 2020.
The aim of the draft Agreement with Iceland is to
establish the arrangements for the participation of Iceland in
the ISF Borders and Visa and to enable the Commission to
assume ultimate responsibility for implementation of the budget of
the instrument in this associated country and determine this
country's contribution to the Union budget in respect of this
instrument.
Protection of the EUs financial
interests: as regards budgetary and
financial controls, the Member States are subject to horizontal
obligations (e.g. the competence of the Court of Auditors and of
the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)), derived either directly
from the Treaty or from secondary Union legislation. These
obligations must be extended to the associated country by means of
the draft Agreement.
In order to protect the Union's financial interests
against fraud and other irregularities, Regulation (EU) No 514/2014
provides that cooperation agreements with third countries will
expressly empower the Commission, the Court of Auditors and OLAF to
conduct such audits, on-the-spot controls and
inspections.
Territorial provisions:
Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is
not bound by it or subject to its application. It will decide,
within six months after the Council has adopted the proposal,
whether it will implement the proposed Decision into its national
law.
The United Kingdom and Ireland are not participating
in the adoption of this Decision.