The Parliament passed by majority a law on the operation and use in the Republic of Cyprus of the Second Generation Schengen Information System (SIS II), amid disagreements on the issue of Cyprus' accession to the Schengen area. 24 MPs voted in favour, 15 against and one abstention.
The law provides for the establishment of a National Information System N. SIS II and the definition of its operation and use.
It also introduces into the internal legal order the necessary implementing provisions for the integration of the rules of the Schengen acquis concerning the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II). It is noted that the National Information System N. SIS II includes entries for the purposes of refusing entry and stay to third country nationals in the Member States, as well as entries for persons wanted for arrest, surrender or extradition, persons who have disappeared, persons wanted in criminal proceedings, persons and objects for the purpose of discreet surveillance or specific checks and objects to be seized or used as evidence in criminal proceedings.
Respondent It also provides for the designation of the Data Protection Commissioner as the competent national supervisory authority.
It also provides for the criminalisation of the misuse of system data,
During the debate, Ecologists' MP Alexandra Attalidou expressed doubts about the reasons for Cyprus' accession to Schengen, for which former Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides had announced in Parliament that an application was submitted in September 2019 "without anyone noticing."
During the debate, Ecologists' MP Alexandra Attalidou expressed doubts about the reasons for Cyprus' accession to Schengen, for which former Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides had announced in Parliament that an application was submitted in September 2019 "without anyone noticing".
He noted that three Presidents of the Republic had refused to allow Cyprus to apply to Schengen to avoid creating a hard border that would legitimise partition. He attributed the change in Cyprus' stance to the need to serve the economic interests of land development entrepreneurs after the abolition of the CCP and said that this government did not have the external goodwill to serve the well-meaning interests of Cyprus and not those of an elite. He said they would vote against the bill.
AKEL MP Aristos Damianou expressed his disagreement with the content and substance of the Schengen area, which he said was related to the failure to protect human rights and civil liberties. He also said that it is one thing to control the Green Line in a rational way and another thing to serve big economic interests by invoking the migration issue. She said that they voted against the bill because they disagree both on the philosophy and on the principle.
DIKO MP Christiana Erotokritou said that she understands the concerns, but said that they will vote for the bill since it is a necessary evil, because unfortunately "we live in very dangerous times and the movement of people and unfortunately it has been proven that it is not safe for every country and Cyprus.
DISY MP Nikos Tornaritis said that his party does not see our EU membership as an a la carte process. He said that the Republic of Cyprus has been implementing a large part of the Schengen acquis since 2004. This piece of legislation, he said, has nothing to do with what has been mentioned, but it strengthens the Republic of Cyprus' position in the EU by strengthening security and preventing various kinds of criminals from entering the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, for whom European arrest warrants have been issued. He also said that this was a first declaration of readiness for Schengen membership. He also said that the legislation does not talk about a hard border or barbed wire, but is the practical implementation of Cyprus' obligations towards the EU.
Source: CNA
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