(KUNA) -- EU experts who visited Denmark last week to check the implementation of measures aimed at reinforcing internal controls at the Danish borders reported Monday that they were unable to get sufficient justifications from the Danish side. A statement by the European Commission said the risk assessment required to justify the controls "was not sufficient and there were no clear instructions to border control officers on how to carry out controls. " EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmstrom, expressed her worries about the situation. "Unfortunately, the mission did not enable us to get adequate answers to our questions," she said in a statement.
Malmstrom noted that there are persistent concerns about the compatibility of Denmark's strengthened internal control measures with the freedoms provided under the EU Treaty including the Schengen treaty that allows for freedom of movement among 25 European states. She stressed that it is incumbent on Denmark to demonstrate factually that the gravity of the situation justifies putting in place controls which might affect the exercise of free movement of goods, services and persons at the internal borders with Germany and Sweden.
"The Commission will not hesitate to use all tools at its disposal to guarantee free movement of goods, services and persons and the full respect of EU legislation," she stressed.
Denmark introduced the border controls in May claiming that it is aimed at controlling a sharp rise in crimes allegedly committed by immigrants in the country.