Decisive step taken towards Cyprus' accession to the Schengen area

Cyprus has taken a decisive step on its way to becoming a member of the Schengen area, gaining access to the Schengen Information System (SIS).

This is a development that brings our country even closer to the goal of joining the single Schengen area, as the SIS system to which it has gained access is essentially the last evaluation area on which Cyprus will be judged, having already successfully passed the evaluations in the areas of personal data protection, police cooperation with other member states of the Schengen area, external borders, returns, as well as visas/consulates.

Cyprus's obtaining access to the SIS has been achieved after painstaking, multi-year efforts, and essentially - as mentioned above - paves the way for the country's inclusion in the Schengen zone, provided that the island successfully completes the cycle of assessments, the last of which is scheduled for next September and which specifically concerns the SIS sector.

If this is achieved, and given that, at a political level, the orientation of the Government for the inclusion of Cyprus in the Schengen zone is established, the matter will now be in the hands of the EU's Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council, which must unanimously approve its inclusion.

It is noted that the Schengen zone was expanded for the first time after more than a decade at the beginning of the year, when JHA approved the accession of Croatia, from January 1, 2023.

The Schengen Agreement provides the right to the free movement of persons, goods, and services within the countries that apply it, thus abolishing internal borders.

A possible accession of Cyprus to the Schengen zone is therefore anticipated to bring about multiple and multi-level benefits for the country and its inhabitants, since beyond the security sector, it is considered certain that it will contribute to further economic development through the strengthening of the tourism sector, trade and the creation of new opportunities in general for businesses.

What does SIS access mean?

As far as gaining access to the SIS is concerned, what this, in essence, entails is that now the police and other competent agencies of Cyprus, such as the Customs Department, the Road Transport Department, the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, the Immigration Service and the Civil Aviation Department, will be able to "access" more than 90 million pieces of information through the Schengen Information System at any time.

It is essentially the largest interactive database in Europe for maintaining public security, supporting police and judicial cooperation, and managing controls at the external borders of the Schengen area.

By gaining access to the Schengen Information System, the national security level of our island is upgraded, as the competent authorities of Cyprus will henceforth be able to identify and prevent risks to the safety of citizens in a timely manner.

And this, since it will allow, among other things: The exchange of information with other member states on issues such as wanted persons, those illegally residing in the territory of the EU, persons involved in terrorist organisations, but also regarding vulnerable persons who are at risk of kidnapping, as is the case with children.

The specific system will also be able to register fingerprints or other biometric data of criminal suspects, so that they can be immediately identified and arrested before they enter the country.

(Source: InBusinessNews)