Peers Steve

This author's articles

• Proposed new EU border control systems

  21 July 2008
  The Commission’s proposal to establish an entry-exit system could play a useful role as regards detecting overstayers from states whose nationals are subject to a visa obligation, if implemented in conjunction with a registered traveller system. However, the Commission has not properly explained or calculated the costs of establishing such a system, and has not established the need for such a system as regards non-visa nationals.

• Biometrics and Visa Applications

  4 December 2006
  The proposed Regulation amending the Common Consular Instructions as regards the taking of biometric data needs to be amended to ensure that biometric obligations are only extended to categories of visa applicants on a country-by-country and case-by-case basis following adequate justification in light of the objectives of the Visa Information System (VIS). There also need to be provisions in this Regulation (or the VIS Regulation) protecting the rights of applicants who are not able to enrol biometric data and addressing the issues of misused identity and technological failure. The use of biometric data in the VIS to identify persons should be subject to strict controls. Finally, there need to be strengthened provisions concerning the liability and monitoring of private companies which assist the Member States’ authorities to process visa applications.

• The European Parliament and data retention: Chronicle of a ‘sell-out’ foretold?

  20 December 2005
  Written just prior to the European Parliament’s 14 December vote on the proposed Directive on data retention, this article sets out how the Council’s agreed text (which the EP voted on) differed from the Commission’s initial proposal and how the EP committee report differed from both those texts. Argues that «if the EP accepts the text as agreed in the Council ... it would amount to a ‘sell-out’ of its position - and the civil liberties of the EU public.»