RESOLUTION (84/C 159/01)

THE COUNCIL AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

Noting the conclusions of the Heads of State or of Government meeting in Paris on 9 and 10 December 1974 which called for examination of the possibility of establishing a Passport Union and in particular of abolishing passport control within the Community,

Taking account, on the one hand, of the decisions taken on the basis of the Treaties establishing the European Communities and, on the other hand, of the practical steps already taken with the aim of facilitating the movement of nationals of the Member States,

Aware of the Community's objective, as defined in Article 3 (c) of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, of abolishing, as between Member States, obstacles to freedom of movement for persons carrying out an activity covered by the provisions of that Treaty,

Aware that the ever-closer union of the peoples of the Member States of the Community should, at the final stage of this process, find expression in free passage across the Community's internal frontiers for all nationals of those States,

Aware that the abolition of all checks on persons at internal frontiers, which is the aim of the Passport Union, means that at the same time it is necessary to resolve certain problems peculiar to the creation of such a Union, such as the transfer of checks on persons from internal frontiers to external ones, the admission of nationals of non-Community countries, including the harmonization of provisions on visas and effective cooperation between Member States on public security,

Anxious to achieve this aim without interfering with the necessary checks justified for security reasons, and bearing in mind the problems facing certain Member States in connection with checks on entry into their territory,

Recalling the resolution of 23 June 1981 in which the representatives of Governments of the Member States of the European Communities, meeting within the Council, considered that the establishment of a passport of uniform design was likely to facilitate the movement of nationals of the Member States,

Considering that a step in the gradual implementation of this objective should be to try to make it easier for nationals of Member States to cross frontiers,

Considering that, to this end, it is necessary to: - seek as far as possible a reduction in the waiting time for checks and in the duration itself of the checks,

- ease as far as possible checks on their nationals living close to the Community's internal frontiers,

HAVE ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION:

The Member States shall take appropriate measures to reduce waiting time and the duration of checks to the minimum necessary, if they have not already done so. To this end they may, for instance: - set up special check-points for the nationals of the Member States, if crossing-time would be reduced as a result,

- carry out any checks which are considered necessary on these nationals by means of spot checks, unless this is not possible for reasons of public security.

To make it easier for nationals of the Member States to cross internal frontiers, the checking authorities shall consider that presentation of the passport of uniform design permits a presumption of belonging to a Member State, without prejudice to the rights attached to other documents provided for in existing conventions, including, in particular, the identity card.

Member States may conclude local agreements in order to make it easier for people living close to the Community's internal frontiers to cross frontiers.

On the basis of a report drawn up by the Commission, possibily accompanied by proposals, the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States of the European Communities, meeting within the Council, will assess the implementation of this resolution within four years of its adoption. In the light of this assessment, they will take any other measures needed for the gradual implementation of the objective of free passage across the Community's internal frontiers for Member State nationals.