"Parliament has backed today what ALDE has been repeating for months. We do not want and will not accept any new mechanism that may weaken the Schengen acquis guaranteeing the principle of free movement between Member States - the very essence of our Union." said Renate Weber (PNL, Romania) ALDE coordinator in the Civil Liberties Committee after today's vote on a resolution on the "Changes to Schengen" as called for by the June European Council conclusion.

"Instead of welcoming the Arab spring, a couple of EU governments afraid of a temporary though limited increase in migration found it as an excuse to close their own borders and, even more worrying, Member States in order to overcome their lack of solidarity, came with the idea to develop a new mechanism, deeply affecting the Schengen area and the free movement. To me, it seems more a subterfuge to avoid addressing the wider issue of a common European asylum and immigration policy including a more effective common EU management of borders."

"It is undeniable that we need better Schengen governance - on which the Parliament has already been working and should be fully involved-, but not new criteria enabling the temporary and exceptional reintroduction of borders checks. These criteria (national security and public order) already exist in the Schengen Borders Code and provide the necessary scope for Member States to take whatever urgent action is necessary. That's why we ask the Commission to present an initiative to define a stricter application of the existing provisions, to limit any temptation by Member States to further increase border controls."

"Politicians who believe they can win extra votes through strengthened border controls are misguided., Preserving freedom of movement across the EU is a much more valuable prize for citizens than resurrecting barriers around the nation state." Weber concluded