Ahead EU summit, German, French industries urge preservation of Schengen Agreement

On the eve of a crucial European Union (EU) summit this week to hammer out a deal with Turkey over the refugee and migrant crisis, leading German and French industry groups urged European governments to preserve the visa-free Schengen system, warning that a collapse of the system would endanger the prosperity of the region.

"The abolition of border controls allows freedom of travel and is an important prerequisite for growth and prosperity," said heads of German employers' association BDA, German industries federation BDI and French employers' association MEDEF in a joint statement on Wednesday.

"Our prosperity, our security, and our freedom are at stake," warned the presidents of the associations in the statement.

• They urged EU governments to do "everything in their power" to preserve the Schengen Agreement while strengthening controls of EU external borders.

In place for over two decades, the 26-member Schengen area has been under tremendous pressure since last year when over one million refugees escaping wars and poverty flooded into Europe.

The migration influx forced a number of countries including Germany, Sweden and Denmark to reintroduce controls at their borders, leading to concerns that the symbol of European integration would collapse in the face of the biggest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War.

• A recent study by the German Bertelsmann Foundation showed that if border checks were reinstated permanently, economic costs to Germany alone would amount to 235 billion euros (about 260 billion US dollars) between 2016 and 2025. For the European Union as a whole, the costs would amount to as much as 1.4 trillion euros over the next decade.

The three industry groups in the two biggest economies in Europe said on Wednesday the EU should provide refuge to those escaping wars, while the influx "must be brought under control and be noticeably reduced."

The groups urged for a quick implementation of previous agreements reached between the EU and Turkey and an acceleration of assistance to crisis regions.

"The refugee crisis could only be solved if we stabilize the crisis regions and help the people in or near their homes and help the regions to develop," read the statement.
 [Xinhua - globaltimes.cn]
17/3/16
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