Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Protocol integrating the Schengen acquis into the framework of the European Union, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular first sentence of the second subparagraph of Article 2(1) thereof,

Whereas:

The Deputy Secretary-General of the Council was authorised by Decision 1999/870/EC^f1 and Decision 2007/149/EC^f2 to act, in the context of the integration of the Schengen acquis within the European Union, as representative of certain Member States for the purposes of concluding contracts relating to the installation and the functioning of the communication infrastructure for the Schengen environment (‘SISNET’) and to manage such contracts, pending the migration to a communication infrastructure at the charge of the European Community.

The financial obligations arising under those contracts are borne by a specific budget (hereinafter ‘the SISNET budget’) financing the communication infrastructure referred to in those Council Decisions.

The new Member States, within the meaning of the 2003 Act of Accession, with the exception of Cyprus, are to be integrated into the first generation Schengen Information System (SIS 1+) on a date to be set by the Council in accordance with Article 3(2) of the 2003 Act of Accession, (hereinafter the ‘SISone4ALL project’).

From that date, those Member States should participate in the budget.

Two Member States, Ireland and the United Kingdom, which contribute to the SISNET budget, but which are not connected to the Schengen Information System, should not contribute to additional costs entailed by the SISone4ALL project,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: