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Scholars have expressed concern about the growth of Eurosceptic discourses in the media since Taggart’s (1998) article on Euroscepticism. While some progress has been made in understanding the media’s role in increasing Euroscepticism, previous studies have primarily focused on Western European media discourses. This research aims to address the knowledge gap on Eurosceptic discourse in Eastern Europe by analysing the impact of the veto against Romania and Bulgaria’s application to join Schengen, as reflected in mainstream media. The research question is: To what extent the Eurosceptic discourse arose in both countries in the weeks before and after the Justice and Home Affairs Council (8–9 December 2022)? The findings indicate that mainstream-mediated discourse employed a strategy of downplaying Euroscepticism. The Romanian and Bulgarian political class labelled the failure to join Schengen as “disappointing,” “unfair,” “unjustified,” and “regrettable.” This research provides evidence of how mainstream media discourses addressed the issue while promoting the European integration project by minimising Euroscepticism.

Discourses on European integration and Euroscepticism have benefitted from increased interest after Brexit. Researchers point out that there is a great variance from one national context to another and that there is a gap in the literature concerning non-elite discourses and perspectives from Central and Eastern European countries such as Romania. The Eurobarometer findings of early 2023 indicate a shift in Romanian public opinion towards Euroscepticism. To better understand the potential causes for these shifts, we approach the politicisation of the issue in Romania through an analysis of online news headlines and related social media news sharing metadata. In the aftermath of the decision not to accept Romania and Bulgaria, this research investigates shifts in the media framing of the Schengen issue and EU over two months (from October 15 to December 15, 2022) in the 14 most accessed Romanian online news sites (with more than 10 million visits per month). Quantitative analysis of news headlines (N = 3,362) shows that the coverage focuses on Romanian politicians in power and emphasises conflict. Furthermore, the analysis of the interactions produced by news sharing of the analysed sample shows the impact of the political rhetoric encouraging the boycotting of Austrian companies in retaliation for the denial of Schengen Area accession: scapegoating and disenchantment with politics and politicians. The two-step approach used and results that use Facebook interactions as indicators of public resonance of politicisation and strategic framing may be replicated in future research.

The use of temporary internal border controls in the Schengen Area reached a new record during the outbreak and spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Several member states chose to introduce internal border controls that had not done so up until that point, while others have had continuous border controls in place since the refugee crisis in 2015. Other member states have never or only rarely used this temporary opt-out from the principle of free movement of persons inside Schengen. This development has raised the question of whether we are moving towards the disintegration of the Schengen Area as member states make very different choices regarding controls towards their EU neighbours. Comparing the use of internal border controls by all member states, the article suggests the concept of differentiated implementation to explain the variations in internal border regimes among Schengen member states. Focusing on two dimensions of control, the control of movement originating internally or externally to the EU, a typology is developed that conceptualises differentiated implementation as four types of internal border regimes. The analysis illustrates these four types by applying them to the use of controls up until 2022, identifying the grouping of member states. The proposed typology of internal border regimes presented represents an ambition to conceptualise the differences in internal border control use that have previously often been understood as a general problem of the Schengen regime.

Discourses on European integration and Euroscepticism have benefitted from increased interest after Brexit. Researchers point out that there is a great variance from one national context to another and that there is a gap in the literature concerning non-elite discourses and perspectives from Central and Eastern European countries such as Romania. The Eurobarometer findings of early 2023 indicate a shift in Romanian public opinion towards Euroscepticism. To better understand the potential causes for these shifts, we approach the politicisation of the issue in Romania through an analysis of online news headlines and related social media news sharing metadata. In the aftermath of the decision not to accept Romania and Bulgaria, this research investigates shifts in the media framing of the Schengen issue and EU over two months (from October 15 to December 15, 2022) in the 14 most accessed Romanian online news sites (with more than 10 million visits per month). Quantitative analysis of news headlines (N =3,362) shows that the coverage focuses on Romanian politicians in power and emphasises conflict. Furthermore, the analysis of the interactions produced by news sharing of the analysed sample shows the impact of the political rhetoric encouraging the boycotting of Austrian companies in retaliation for the denial of Schengen Area accession: scapegoating and disenchantment with politics and politicians. The two-step approach used and results that use Facebook interactions as indicators of public resonance of politicisation and strategic framing may be replicated in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have expressed concern about the growth of Eurosceptic discourses in the media since Taggart's (1998) article on Euroscepticism. While some progress has been made in understanding the media's role in increasing Euroscepticism, previous studies have primarily focused on Western European media discourses. This research aims to address the knowledge gap on Eurosceptic discourse in Eastern Europe by analysing the impact of the veto against Romania and Bulgaria's application to join Schengen, as reflected in mainstream media. The research question is: To what extent the Eurosceptic discourse arose in both countries in the weeks before and after the Justice and Home Affairs Council (8-9 December 2022)? The findings indicate that mainstream-mediated discourse employed a strategy of downplaying Euroscepticism. The Romanian and Bulgarian political class labelled the failure to join Schengen as "disappointing," "unfair," "unjustified," and "regrettable." This research provides evidence of how mainstream media discourses addressed the issue while promoting the European integration project by minimising Euroscepticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The project of the Journal of Biblical Integration in Business is the attempt to bring the discipline of Scripture and Christian theology to the theory and practice of business. JBIB articles, including some in this edition, demonstrate how businesses might better conduct their marketing, finance, management, and even accounting efforts by the application of biblical principles. In this article, the author seeks to extend the JBIB experiment to the area of macroeconomics and the commercial activity of nations. At a fundamental level, the activities of these parties are the same; they buy, sell, negotiate, finance, hire, communicate, strategize, and perform other commercial functions in much the same way that businesses do. One premise of this opinion is that the Word of God bears on the commercial choices of nations in much the same way that it does on the business activity of individuals and corporations. In this article, the author attempts to extend the discipline of biblical integration to macroeconomic decisions of nations utilizing the example of the continued refusal by various European governments to admit Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen Agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the paradox of a globalized cooperative world that appears conducive to openness, yet simultaneously witnesses the proliferation of closed borders, physical barriers, and increased border militarization. The objective is to research, analyze, and categorize the various types of border militarization, offering both theoretical and practical perspectives. We propose new definitions for border militarization to encompass its diverse expressions, ranging from overt to subtle forms. This study focuses on border militarization within Europe, specifically in peripheral countries on the outer fringes of the European Union’s Schengen regime, employing a comparative case study methodology. It provides in-depth insights into two similar cases and practical militarization following the 2015-2016 European migration crisis in Croatia and Poland. While the research has limitations, including its eurocentric focus and limited generalizability, the conclusions shed light on post-migration crisis long-term effects in Europe and the growing phenomenon of subtle and covert border militarization.

The use of temporary internal border controls in the Schengen Area reached a new record during the outbreak and spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Several member states chose to introduce internal border controls that had not done so up until that point, while others have had continuous border controls in place since the refugee crisis in 2015. Other member states have never or only rarely used this temporary opt-out from the principle of free movement of persons inside Schengen. This development has raised the question of whether we are moving towards the disintegration of the Schengen Area as member states make very different choices regarding controls towards their EU neighbours. Comparing the use of internal border controls by all member states, the article suggests the concept of differentiated implementation to explain the variations in internal border regimes among Schengen member states. Focusing on two dimensions of control, the control of movement originating internally or externally to the EU, a typology is developed that conceptualises differentiated implementation as four types of internal border regimes. The analysis illustrates these four types by applying them to the use of controls up until 2022, identifying the grouping of member states. The proposed typology of internal border regimes presented represents an ambition to conceptualise the differences in internal border control use that have previously often been understood as a general problem of the Schengen regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Schengen project is one of Europe’s most important accomplishments as it facilitates the free movement of goods and people. Currently, Romania and Bulgaria are on the verge of obtaining their Schengen membership and, to our knowledge, not enough emphasis has been placed on the emigration and labour market implications for aspiring candidates. This research aims to empirically evaluate the liaison between Schengen Area and labour migration. In order to achieve this objective, we construct a difference-in-differences research design using data from the European Labour Force Survey. The treatment is represented by the Schengen enlargement of 2007 with Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia constructing the treatment group and Romania and Bulgaria the control group. The main results show that Schengen Membership led to increased probabilities of working abroad one year after treatment occurred, as well as three years after treatment occurred. Also, we are able to identify the demographic category most likely to emigrate as young males in search for seasonal full-time jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their prominent role in the Return Directive and the constitution of the common European border regime, entry bans and their role in the governance of unwanted mobility remain largely unexamined in migration research. Entry bans accompany removal decisions for non-compliant or criminalised non-citizens, applying by default in the whole Schengen area, excluding EU citizens and legally residing third-country nationals, who receive national bans. In this article, drawing from my research on the immigration detention system in Finland, I discuss how entry bans sanction and irregularise movement mainly inside Europe, complicate non-citizens' regularisation, and affect their mobility strategies. Despite also being intertwined with crime control in Finland, national entry bans seem largely ineffective in preventing unwanted mobility inside the Schengen area: many Estonian citizens, in particular, are detained and removed from Finland several times a year. Notwithstanding the Europe-wide effect intended in the Return Directive, national entry bans issued alongside Schengen bans reintroduce borders inside Europe. Furthermore, by prolonging the duration of removal orders for years, entry bans establish individual borders that may be faced in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European integration and the challenges of the reorganisation of the world order generates representative consequences on the statal phenomenon and on its interactions with the community construction, involving, at the same time, mutations and revaluations concerning certain fundamental concepts such as those of state, sovereignty and constitutionalisation. Born in Europe, the modern state evolves in this context to a new category resulted from the status of member of an integration organisation: the integrated state, with its degraded version, of state with differentiated affiliation. It is not (anymore) as any other state, being characterised by the content of the integration connection, which however does not put an end to the statal diversity (the constitutional, administrative and political systems and traditions being preserved), and any constituent state affirming its own conception about the participation in the EU. The presence of Bulgaria and Romania in the Union - by the existence of the cooperation and verification mechanism (CVM) and the non-affiliation to the Schengen Area - expresses the situation of an incomplete affiliation and the degraded status of integrated state. The dialectical tension between the sovereignty (of the states) and the integration (supranational) is amplified by the implications of the insurection of the national souverainism and of reclaiming, with political content for now, of a European sovereignty, marked by solidarity in front of the global systemic risks. The advances of the project of a „Europe of the future, with variable geography", accentuated by the initiative of the European political community, amplify the challenges of the juridical and institutional practices of the Community mechanism and of the related theoretical reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Relaciones Internacionales (1699-3950) is the property of Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain, International Relations Studies Group (GERI) Law Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article explores the paradox of a globalized cooperative world that appears conducive to openness, yet simultaneously witnesses the proliferation of closed borders, physical barriers, and increased border militarization. The objective is to research, analyze, and categorize the various types of border militarization, offering both theoretical and practical perspectives. We propose new definitions for border militarization to encompass its diverse expressions, ranging from overt to subtle forms. This study focuses on border militarization within Europe, specifically in peripheral countries on the outer fringes of the European Union's Schengen regime, employing a comparative case study methodology. It provides in-depth insights into two similar cases and practical militarization following the 2015-2016 European migration crisis in Croatia and Poland. While the research has limitations, including its eurocentric focus and limited generalizability, the conclusions shed light on post-migration crisis long-term effects in Europe and the growing phenomenon of subtle and covert border militarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article or writing aims to discuss the application of technology and certain mechanism as the impact of a disruptive era on internal border control in the Schengen area. The problem is focused on the internal border system which got reintroduced as a countermeasure against the 2015 Migrant Crisis in Europe. The analysis conducted in this research will measure whether the application of technology gives a practical benefit in alleviating internal border controls or negative impact such as discrimination towards refugees and immigrants in the Schengen area. In order to approach this problem a theoretical reference is used from international relations’ perspective, as a part of the political science greater scope on the issue. The data is collected through library research and analyzed qualitatively. This study concludes that various improvements and improvisation were made in the implementation of border controls. There are several steps taken by the EU for border control checks by utilizing technology such as Visa Information System (VIS), Schengen Information System (SIS), European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), and FRONTEX. These technologies allow Schengen states to share visa data about individual who enters European Union from its various borders, enable seamless cooperation regarding border controls and law enforcement and visitor tracking between countries. This study conclude that the application of innovative technology on internal border control in Schengen Area is well applied and projectively very useful to tackle the security concerns and conflicting interests within the Schengen area and remove the needs of unnecessarily long physical internal border controls.

Copyright of Hungarian Law Enforcement / Magyar Rendészet is the property of National University of Public Service and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Belügyi Szemle / Academic Journal of Internal Affairs is the property of Ministry of Interior of Hungary and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Belügyi Szemle / Academic Journal of Internal Affairs is the property of Ministry of Interior of Hungary and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the territory of the Slovak Republic, the transportation of goods from east to west is carried out in Eastern Slovak Trasnsshipment. The transportation of goods in direct international rail transport between the Slovak Republic, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine is carried out through the border crossing points Čierna nad Tisou – Čop and Maťovce – Užhorod. These border crossing points are places on a broad-gauge and standard-gauge railway, wherer loading, unloading, and reloading of goods from wider gauge wagons to narrower gauge wagons shall be carried out. There is also a shift of transport mode from SMGS to CIM and other services associated with this transport. An important document affecting the functioning of the single railway market is the Customs Code of the European Union and its provisions. It should be noted that the Common Economic Area of the European Union is also the common customs area of all the Member States. In the case of the cross-border international rail transport organisation, there are no control services due to the customs clearance of the goods. For carriers and customers, this means easier process organisation thanks to the provisions of the Customs Code.

Copyright of Belügyi Szemle / Academic Journal of Internal Affairs is the property of Ministry of Interior of Hungary and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The main purpose of the Schengen Agreement was to abolish border checks at internal borders between Schengen Member States. This principled idea was later transposed into the provisions of the Schengen Convention and reiterated in the Schengen Borders Code. Despite the fact that the priority objective of the Schengen Agreement is to apply the principle of free movement of persons and to abolish internal border controls, there is one exception, in cases where public policy or national security so require, the Schengen State, in consultation with the other Contracting Parties, may decide to carry out border checks at the internal borders of the country concerned for a limited period, depending on the situation at the internal borders. The abolition of controls at internal borders is not an irreversible process, which means that rules governing the reintroduction of controls at internal borders must be introduced into national law. This article analyzes the norms of the Schengen acquis and the main elements of the concept of protection of internal borders, evaluates the principles of reintroduction of control at internal borders. It is assumed that EU countries that have agreed on common security standards have the right to decide and implement national measures to ensure public order and national security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Th e COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV–2 coronavirus, which emerged in Europe in January 2020, gave rise to restrictions by European Union Member States on freedom of movement and residence in the Schengen area. Individual actions by states mobilized the EU to take formal steps as well as to implement practical solutions to coordinate the eff orts of all Member States. Digital solutions belong to the practical measures. Th eir implementation may bring potential benefi ts but is also associated with the possibility of potential risks. Th is article presents the basic assumptions of freedom of movement and residence in the Schengen area and their limitations by Member States justifi ed by public health reasons. Th e characteristics of digital solutions for facilitating freedom of movement during the COVID-19 pandemic are then presented, taking into account their eff ectiveness. Th e paper concludes with a presentation of the benefi ts and potential risks associated with the implementation of selected digital solutions by the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major migrant crisis, which has been spreading across Europe for the past few years, has also affected Croatia in many ways. A relatively small country in South East Europe that lies on two important transport corridors – Pan-European Corridor Xa and Vb – happened also to be on two big migratory routes: the Western Balkan route and the Mediterranean route. The consequences thereof have been seen in a huge number of migrants who passed over Croatian territory, going towards countries in Western Europe, often found hidden in trucks and trains at the border crossings towards Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Hungary. This paper deals with the question of the impact this phenomenon has made on freight transport industry in Croatia (and the entire region of South East Europe), by analysing regional trends in irregular migrations of people in connection to the introduction of new police security measures (on trucks and trains), and the performance of road and rail transport services in these sensitive times.

The reintroduction of border checks as a chain of reactions during the 2015 'migrant crisis' was interpreted as the dislocation of the Schengen area, and as a 'Schengen crisis'. Free movement, understood as a complete removal of border checks at internal borders of the Schengen area, would be at risk. However, very few studies have examined the implementation of free movement, and consequently no work has been done on the consequences of such crises on the activities of street-level border guards. This article investigates the activities of the French border police at the France-Italy border in an open border setting in 2008 and 2009, and at two moments of crisis and border closing in 2011 and 2015–2016. By adopting a bottom-up approach toward EU policy implementation, this article shows that regardless of government's attempt at spectacularising checks at the internal border, the extent to which the border is either 'closed' or 'open' relies on the member states' administrations. At the bottom of the chain of command, street-level bureaucrats are tasked with managing the inherent ambiguities of free movement as defined in the Schengen convention, concentrating the checks on third-country nationals and leaving the vast majorities of border crossings unaffected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Schengen area is a unique structure and one of the European Union's greatest achievements allowing people to move freely within its borders. However, the factors such as the refugee crisis and the influx of asylum seekers into Europe have led several Member States to reintroduce border controls at their internal borders. The aim of the research is to explore the Schengen area, the challenges of its existence and the need for reform. In order to implement the aim of the research, the authors have determined the following tasks of the research: 1) to explore and analyse the Schengen area and the reforms taking place in it; 2) to explore the challenges of the existence of the Schengen area; 3) based on the results obtained in the research, to draw conclusions and develop proposals. The study summarizes the reforms implemented and planned in the Schengen area, evaluates the existing challenges and relevance of the reforms to overcome them. As a result of the study, the authors conclude that it is necessary to ensure the Member States adopt measures to restore the proper functioning of the Schengen area and do not request extension of the reintroduction of the border control at the internal borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the factors influencing tourist trail network development are political issues, including the presence of state borders, the possibility of crossing them and the accessibility of border zones. In the article, it was decided to look at changes in the offer of tourist trails (hiking and cycling) along the entire border of the Czech Republic after the extension of the Schengen area (within this area, crossing the border is possible anywhere, and not only at official border crossings). It should be emphasized here that the borders of the Czech Republic over most of their length run through mountainous areas and, apart from political factors, natural features should have a major impact on the development of tourist routes. In order to determine the coherence of the current network of trails on both sides of the Czech Republic state border, modern tourist maps have been analyzed, determining the number of places where it is possible to cross the state border with the help of a marked tourist trail. Based on that, two indicators were introduced to determine the degree of openness with all neighboring countries as regards the opportunity to cross on a tourist trail. Changes in the historical situation, a comparison of the accessibility of the border area before entering the Schengen area and 2019, were analyzed for two study areas using archival maps. Over a decade after the extension of the Schengen area, the number of places where tourist trails of neighboring countries approach the border has clearly increased. Crossing is more often made possible using hiking trails than cycling routes (trails of the first type cross the border every 7.91 km, while the latter every 13.3 km), but considering the speed of movement, it can be assessed that the openness for cyclists is higher than for hikers. Moreover, in many places there is still significant potential for further integration of tourist trail networks as trails created in one country often do not have a continuation on the other side of the border. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Il Diritto Dell'unione Europea is the property of Giappichelli Editore srl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Regulating migration is currently one of the most salient issues in Europe. So far, research has overlooked how this politicisation affects attitudes towards migration regimes. This article links the literatures on public opinion and framing effects from a comparative European perspective and presents original data from representative EU-wide vignette experiments conducted in mid-December 2017 (N = 10.827). I show that framing Schengen as a threat to public security or national identity weakens support for the status quo inside Schengen and reaffirms it amongst Schengen outsiders. Regarding Freedom of Movement only negative frames, particularly those referring to labour market risks, have a significant impact. Given the weak public support in several EU member states, these findings have important implications for the future of European migration regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the history of the European Union (EU) the first decades of the 21st century were an excep- tional time. One of the greatest successes of subsequent generations, which set the tone and direction of the Community policy, and later the EU, was the creation of a single internal market in the EU territory until the end of 1992, with four economic freedoms. In this context, it is impossible not to mention the successful implementation of the EU project 'Europe without borders', of which the so-called Schengen zone is a vivid reflection. The purpose of this article is to try to answer the question concerning the present and the future of this project. Therefore, the analysis and assessment will be made of the functioning of the Schengen area before and after the migration crisis that erupted in Europe, and then the possible scenarios of its development will be discussed. This seems justified due to the fact that today we still anxiously observe how the 2015+ migration crisis is changing the EU, causing waves of doubt about the ideas and values that guided the founding fathers of the European Communities from the beginning and later accompanied other leading European politicians on the road to achieve full integration within the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the rights of children in the Schengen Area. Child Trafficking is a major threat nowadays. The abolition of border control at internal borders may cause such situations. According to with the above, it is necessary to properly ensure an appropriate security system and proper border checks at external borders. The article presents the rights of children in the Schengen Area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After focusing on the Euro crisis, European leaders are now struggling with the biggest migrant crisis since Second World War. Up to now, over 1.1 million migrants have requested protection in Europe, and their number is growing every day. The functioning of the Schengen area is in danger due to control deficiencies at external borders. As it’s facing this challenge, the EU is constantly seeking solutions designed to restore the proper functioning of the system and prevent its collapse.

This paper proposes a reflection on borders that considers its operability as a governance space. This reading means transcending the territorial aspect of a border - and its sense of sovereign affirmation - and looking at its functionality in terms of circulation being a matter for government, in what should be called the border's biopolitical decline. In this sense, government practices that define the border may be read in terms of the striation of space rather than the containment of a territory. The governance problem the border poses is one of reconciling porousness and selectivity. This encourages the construction of "smart borders" via innovations of a technological nature that essentially focus on the filtering capabilities of actuarial and biometric techniques. The paper addresses the transformations of this kind noted in the Schengen Area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present scientific article aims to demonstrate the elements that make up the Fraternal Law, as well as its applicability in the relations between the European collectivities. In order to do so, at first the attention turns to a brief analysis of the fraternal society in the perspective of the universal principle of the dignity of the human person, passing through a brief dialectical study between conflicting situations and development of humanitarian law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the outcomes of the EU-funded Twinning Light Project "Setting up the SIRENE Office: Strengthening capacities of SIRENE operators and end users of the Schengen Information System II (CRO SIRENE)". This international assistance and support project was conducted throughout 2016 by the Lithuanian Police in cooperation with the beneficiary administration, the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia. This paper familiarises readers with the system and integral parts of the qualification improvement process assessed in the Project. The mechanism for the preparation of instructors within public administration bodies in the EU Member States could be seen as an integral process, whereby selected staff members receive initial subject-matter training, deepen their knowledge in advanced subject-matter training, participate in andragogic training sessions, practice their training skills during live training activities, have the possibility to compare working procedures in other EU Member States, and exchange best practices as well as make use of specific tailor-made methodological tools. The creation of new pedagogic standards is relevant in a way that by standardizing process of preparing police instructors, main integral educational tools are identified and applied (i.e. optimal proportion between the form and content of training is determined, training participants are involved into training evaluation process, methodical recommendations for instructors are prepared etc.). Pedagogic standards, which was developed, practically tested and presented by the authors of the research could contribute to the better commitment and ownership of the beneficiary organizations with regard police training under the EU Internal Security Strategy. Furthermore, it could be applied also in other EU Member States by organizing training activities and shaping international network of police instructors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freedom of movement was founded in Europe over 30 years ago, signing the Schengen Agreement 1985. The convention implementing the Schengen Agreement (CISA) took effect in 1995. It was incorporated into EU law and considered a major achievement of European integration. The Schengen evaluation mechanism has been developed as guarding system for establishing and maintain effective cooperation and mutual trust among member states. There have been major changes within the mechanism, the initial intergovernmental peer review process is now a community method led by the European Commission. This study analyses the development of the Schengen area and the evaluation process, exploring the views of the evaluation experts assessing police cooperation. The research found that although the new evaluation system was considered appropriate for the monitoring the arrangements, there are key areas that could be improved within the process of conducting evaluations, maintaining expertise and sharing best practise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major migrant crisis, which has been spreading across Europe for the past few years, has also affected Croatia in many ways. A relatively small country in South East Europe that lies on two important transport corridors - Pan-European Corridor Xa and Vb - happened also to be on two big migratory routes: the Western Balkan route and the Mediterranean route. The consequences thereof have been seen in a huge number of migrants who passed over Croatian territory, going towards countries in Western Europe, often found hidden in trucks and trains at the border crossings towards Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Hungary. This paper deals with the question of the impact this phenomenon has made on freight transport industry in Croatia (and the entire region of South East Europe), by analysing regional trends in irregular migrations of people in connection to the introduction of new police security measures (on trucks and trains), and the performance of road and rail transport services in these sensitive times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the role of the refugees' crisis linked with the terrorist attacks of Paris on the European integration. This article is based on the Bartolini's theory to blur the boundaries between the international and internal system with the aim to explain the crisis mechanism of the European integration without being focused on the qualification of the European architecture. This article emphasizes the role of the external pressure on the particular political system of the European Union and their consequences concerning the integration process for the elites and for the European peoples. The refugees' example highlights the automatic integration process despite the lack of loyalty of the peoples to the European elites.

The Impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the Integrated Border Management of the European Union The idea of integrated border management (IBM) in the European Union assumes ensuring free movement of persons within the Union, while maintaining the highest security standards. The priority is to create a uniform, high level protection and control of external borders and to uphold the flow of border traffic. An important role in the development process of IBM was played by its regulation in the Treaty of Lisbon and the extension of EU competences in the areas of border control, asylum and immigration policies. The purpose of the article is to show main assumptions of IBM and to analyze their practical implementation. One of the major successes in this area is considered to be establishment of the Frontex agency, which helps EU Member States and Schengen associated countries manage their external borders and harmonise EU border control.