UK Wants to Retain Access to Schengen and Europol Data After Brexit

The United Kingdom government is trying to reach a divorce deal with the European Union, through which it retains most of its access to the EU and Schengen Databases, as the Europol and the Schengen Information System.

A leaked document on the assessment of the UK’s position in the final leave agreement, written by the German government and seen by the Guardian, says that the British negotiators are making impossible demands over access to EU databases in the negotiations over the future relationship with the EU.

The German government report which comments the talks on the future relationship between the EU block and the UK resumed this week through video calls due to the situation caused by the pandemic, shows that the British negotiators were against a proposal to extend the transition period due to COVID-19.

In addition, the negotiators insisted that the UK should continue taking part in EU-wide data-sharing arrangements and even expanding their reach, despite the EU exit.

The report claims that Britain wants to “approximate the position of a member state as closely as possible” when it comes to working EU’s law enforcement agency Europol, including continued access to Europol’s central intelligence database (EIS).

The UK also demanded access on other databases, as the Schengen Information System (SIS II), a database used by European border control agencies, despite fresh accusations that the UK had misused the latter, to which it has had partial access so far.

Germany, as one of the most powerful EU states, has opposed Britain’s request for special access to these databases.

The spokesperson for European Affairs for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Christian Petry, criticised Britain for attempting to retain membership rights while leaving the block.

“The Brexiteers have always disparaged the EU as undemocratic. To now dictate to the EU as a third country how we should organise our inner security, that would indeed be undemocratic. It would not only be ‘cherry-picking on speed’, but set a fatal precedent. With what arguments could we respond to wishes from other states with similar ideas?” Petry said.

The first draft resolution on the future relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union, presented in January by the EU negotiators, said that the UK would not have access to EU’s Schengen Information System, by the end of the transitional period.

In a motion for a resolution to wind up the debate on the statements by the Council, the EP’s UK Coordination Group has suggested that the parliament UK’s direct access to EU information systems data should be cut off throughout the transitional period.

At the same time, the draft resolution written by the UKCG, led by MEP David McAllister insisted that the UK shall not have access to the Schengen Information System (SIS), as it is now considered a third-country to the EU.

The resolution also called on the British authorities to take measures related to the serious deficiencies identified as regards its use of SIS immediately.

SchengenVisaInfo.com had reported in January this year, that both France and the Netherlands share concerns on the possibility that the UK may further abuse the EU databases, upon Brexit.