Emmanuel Macron must make proposals to improve the functioning of the Schengen area within ten days in Brussels.

In the meantime, a note from France sent to European capitals already describes some ideas, such as the creation of an "Internal Security Council". 

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This has been a priority since the recent attacks in Nice and even in Vienna: Paris wants to improve the functioning of the Schengen borderless area to better fight terrorism.

The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, will make proposals to his counterparts in Brussels in ten days.

But France has already submitted a note to a few European capitals.

In particular, she wants an "Internal Security Council", responsible among other things for sanctioning countries that mismanage their borders.

Assessments and sanctions

The idea is that this "Internal Security Council" brings together the interior ministers of the Schengen area four times a year.

Its mission: to check that common borders are well controlled and to ensure that security information is shared, in particular via European databases.  

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The European Commission would be responsible for evaluating each country.

In the event of "repeated breaches", on the basis of these assessments, ministers could impose sanctions.

A state could be "suspended" from Schengen, for example.

It is already possible in theory, but very complicated to achieve.

An annual meeting of heads of state and government 

Another French proposal: a meeting once a year of heads of state and government to "confirm the most sensitive decisions and give directions for the coming year".

The objective is a more political steering of Schengen, as is done by the Eurogroup, the meeting of finance ministers, for the euro zone.

"The Stability Pact provides for fines if the deficits are too high. This would be a security pact," explains Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune.    

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First, we have to convince other countries such as Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain, so that these proposals are taken up by Brussels.

The European Commission is due to present a Schengen reform in the spring.