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1. Land borders 1.1. Checks on road traffic 1.1.1. To ensure effective checks on persons, while ensuring the safety and smooth flow of road traffic, movements at border crossing points shall be regulated in an appropriate manner. Where necessary, Member States may conclude bilateral agreements to channel and block traffic. They shall inform the Commission thereof pursuant to Article 42.

1.1.2. At land borders, Member States may, where they deem appropriate and if circumstances allow, install or operate separate lanes at certain border crossing points, in accordance with Article 10. Separate lanes may be dispensed with at any time by the Member States’ competent authorities, in exceptional circumstances and where traffic and infrastructure conditions so require. Member States may cooperate with neighbouring countries with a view to the installation of separate lanes at external border crossing points.

1.1.3. As a general rule, persons travelling in vehicles may remain inside them during checks. However, if circumstances so require, persons may be requested to alight from their vehicles. Thorough checks will be carried out, if local circumstances allow, in areas designated for that purpose. In the interests of staff safety, checks will be carried out, where possible, by two border guards.

1.1.4. Shared border crossing points 1.1.4.1. Member States may conclude or maintain bilateral agreements with neighbouring third countries concerning the establishment of shared border crossing points, at which Member State border guards and third-country border guards carry out exit and entry checks one after another in accordance with their national law on the territory of the other party. Shared border crossing points may be located either on the territory of a Member State territory or on the territory of a third country.

1.1.4.2. Shared border crossing points located on Member State territory: bilateral agreements establishing shared border crossing points located on Member State territory shall contain an authorisation for third-country border guards to exercise their tasks in the Member State, respecting the following principles:

(a) International protection: a third-country national asking for international protection on Member State territory shall be given access to relevant Member State procedures in accordance with the Union asylum acquis.

(b) Arrest of a person or seizure of property: if third-country border guards become aware of facts justifying the arrest or placing under protection of a person or seizure of property, they shall inform Member State authorities of those facts and Member State authorities shall ensure an appropriate follow-up in accordance with national, Union and international law, independently of the nationality of the concerned person.

(c) Persons enjoying the right of free movement under Union law entering Union territory: third-country border guards shall not prevent persons enjoying the right of free movement under Union law from entering Union territory. If there are reasons justifying refusal of exit from the third country concerned, third-country border guards shall inform Member State authorities of those reasons and Member State authorities shall ensure an appropriate follow-up in accordance with national, Union and international law.

1.1.4.3. Shared border crossing points located on third-country territory: bilateral agreements establishing shared border crossing points located on third-country territory shall contain an authorisation for Member State border guards to perform their tasks in the third country. For the purpose of this Regulation, any check carried out by Member State border guards in a shared border crossing point located on the territory of a third country shall be deemed to be carried out on the territory of the Member State concerned. Member State border guards shall exercise their tasks in accordance with this Regulation and respecting the following principles:

(a) International protection: a third-country national who has passed exit control by third-country border guards and subsequently asks Member State border guards present in the third country for international protection, shall be given access to relevant Member State procedures in accordance with Union asylum acquis. Third-country authorities shall accept the transfer of the person concerned into Member State territory.

(b) Arrest of a person or seizure of property: if Member State border guards become aware of facts justifying the arrest or placing under protection of a person or seizure of property, they shall act in accordance with national, Union and international law. Third-country authorities shall accept a transfer of the person or object concerned into Member State territory.

(c) Access to IT systems: Member State border guards shall be able to use information systems processing personal data in accordance with Article 8. Member States shall be allowed to establish the technical and organisational security measures required by Union law to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction or accidental loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access, including access by third-country authorities.

1.1.4.4. Before concluding or amending any bilateral agreement on shared border crossing points with a neighbouring third country, the Member State concerned shall consult the Commission as to the compatibility of the agreement with Union law. Pre-existing bilateral agreements shall be notified to the Commission by 20 January 2014. If the Commission considers the agreement to be incompatible with Union law, it shall notify the Member State concerned. The Member State shall take all appropriate steps to amend the agreement within a reasonable period in such a way as to eliminate the incompatibilities established.

1.2. Checks on rail traffic 1.2.1. Checks shall be carried out both on train passengers and on railway staff on trains crossing external borders, including those on goods trains or empty trains. Member States may conclude bilateral or multilateral agreements on how to conduct those checks respecting the principles set out in point 1.1.4. Those checks shall be carried out in one of the following ways:

— in the first station of arrival or last station of departure on the territory of a Member State;

— on board the train, during transit between the last station of departure in a third country and the first station of arrival on the territory of a Member State or vice versa;

— in the last station of departure or the first station of arrival on the territory of a third country.

1.2.2. In addition, in order to facilitate rail traffic flows of high-speed passenger trains, the Member States on the itinerary of these trains from third countries may also decide, by common agreement with third countries concerned respecting the principles set out in point 1.1.4., to carry out entry checks on persons on trains from third countries in either one of the following ways:

— in the stations in a third country where persons board the train;

— in the stations where persons disembark within the territory of the Member States;

— on board the train during transit between stations on the territory of a third country and stations on the territory of the Member States, provided that the persons stay on board the train.

1.2.3. With respect to high-speed trains from third countries making several stops in the territory of the Member States, if the rail transport carrier is in a position to board passengers exclusively for the remaining part of the journey within the territory of the Member States, such passengers shall be subject to entry checks either on the train or at the station of destination except where checks have been carried out pursuant to points 1.2.1 or 1.2.2 first indent. Persons who wish to take the train exclusively for the remaining part of the journey within the territory of the Member States shall receive clear notification prior to the train’s departure that they will be subject to entry checks during the journey or at the station of destination.

1.2.4. When travelling in the opposite direction, the persons on board the train shall be subject to exit checks under similar arrangements.

1.2.5. The border guard may order the cavities of carriages to be inspected if necessary with the assistance of the train inspector, to ensure that persons or objects subject to border checks are not concealed in them.

1.2.6. Where there are reasons to believe that persons who have been reported or are suspected of having committed an offence, or third-country nationals intending to enter illegally, are hiding on a train, the border guard, if he or she cannot act in accordance with his national provisions, shall notify the Member States towards or within whose territory the train is moving.

2. Air borders 2.1. Procedures for checks at international airports 2.1.1. The competent authorities of the Member States shall ensure that the airport operator takes the requisite measures to physically separate the flows of passengers on internal flights from the flows of passengers on other flights. Appropriate infrastructures shall be set in place at all international airports to that end.

2.1.2. The place where border checks are carried out shall be determined in accordance with the following procedure:

(a) passengers on a flight from a third country who board an internal flight shall be subject to an entry check at the airport of arrival of the flight from a third country. Passengers on an internal flight who board a flight for a third country (transfer passengers) shall be subject to an exit check at the airport of departure of the latter flight;

(b) for flights from or to third countries with no transfer passengers and flights making more than one stop-over at the airports of the Member States where there is no change of aircraft:

(i) passengers on flights from or to third countries where there is no prior or subsequent transfer within the territory of the Member States shall be subject to an entry check at the airport of entry and an exit check at the airport of exit;

(ii) passengers on flights from or to third countries with more than one stop-over on the territory of the Member States where there is no change of aircraft (transit passengers), and provided that passengers cannot board the aircraft for the leg situated within the territory of the Member States, shall be subject to an entry check at the airport of arrival and an exit check at the airport of departure;

(iii) where an airline may, for flights from third countries with more than one stop-over within the territory of the Member States, board passengers only for the remaining leg within that territory, passengers shall be subject to an exit check at the airport of departure and an entry check at the airport of arrival. Checks on passengers who, during those stop-overs, are already on board the aircraft and have not boarded in the territory of the Member States shall be carried out in accordance with point (ii). The reverse procedure shall apply to that category of flights where the country of destination is a third country.

2.1.3. Border checks will normally not be carried out on the aircraft or at the gate, unless it is justified on the basis of an assessment of the risks related to internal security and illegal immigration. In order to ensure that, at the airports designated as border crossing points, persons are checked in accordance with the rules set out in Articles 7 to 14, Member States shall ensure that the airport authorities take the requisite measures to channel passenger traffic to facilities reserved for checks. Member States shall ensure that the airport operator takes the necessary measures to prevent unauthorised persons entering and leaving the reserved areas, for example the transit area. Checks will normally not be carried out in the transit area, unless it is justified on the basis of an assessment of the risks related to internal security and illegal immigration; in particular checks in this area may be carried out on persons subject to an airport transit visa in order to check that they are in possession of such a visa.