12003T003

Article 3

1. The provisions of the Schengen acquis as integrated into the framework of the European Union by the Protocol annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community (hereinafter referred to as the "Schengen Protocol"), and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it, listed in Annex I to this Act, as well as any further such acts which may be adopted before the date of accession, shall be binding on and applicable in the new Member States from the date of accession.

2. Those provisions of the Schengen acquis as integrated into the framework of the European Union and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it not referred to in paragraph 1, while binding on the new Member States from the date of accession, shall only apply in a new Member State pursuant to a Council decision to that effect after verification in accordance with the applicable Schengen evaluation procedures that the necessary conditions for the application of all parts of the acquis concerned have been met in that new Member State and after consulting the European Parliament.

The Council shall take its decision acting with the unanimity of its members representing the Governments of the Member States in respect of which the provisions referred to in the present paragraph have already been put into effect and of the representative of the Government of the Member State in respect of which those provisions are to be put into effect. The members of the Council representing the Governments of Ireland and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland shall take part in such a decision insofar as it relates to the provisions of the Schengen acquis and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it in which these Member States participate.

3. The Agreements concluded by the Council under Article 6 of the Schengen Protocol shall be binding on the new Member States from the date of accession.

4. The new Member States undertake in respect of those conventions or instruments in the field of justice and home affairs which are inseparable from the attainment of the objectives of the EU Treaty:

- to accede to those which, by the date of accession, have been opened for signature by the present Member States, and to those which have been drawn up by the Council in accordance with Title VI of the EU Treaty and recommended to the Member States for adoption;

- to introduce administrative and other arrangements, such as those adopted by the date of accession by the present Member States or by the Council, to facilitate practical cooperation between the Member States' institutions and organisations working in the field of justice and home affairs.

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