6.11.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 295/27 II (Non-legislative acts) REGULATIONS COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) No 1053/2013 of 7 October 2013 establishing an evaluation and monitoring mechanism to verify the application of the Schengen acquis and repealing the Decision of the Executive Committee of 16 September 1998 setting up a Standing Committee on the evaluation and implementation of Schengen THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 70 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, application in practice and to maintain a high level of mutual trust between those Member States that form part of an area without border control at internal borders. Such a mechanism should build upon close cooperation between the Commission and those Member States. (4)  The Hague Programme (}) invited the Commission to submit, as soon as the abolition of controls at internal borders has been completed, a proposal to supplement Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ('), the existing Schengen evaluation mechanism with a supervisory mechanism, ensuring full involvement of Member States experts, and including unannounced Whereas: inspections. (1) The Schengen area without border control at internal ) borders relies on the effective and efficient application (5)  The Stockholm Programme () .c0n51de.rs that ~ the by the Member States of accompanying measures in evah.latlon of the Scheng.en area will continue to be of the areas of external borders, visa policy, the Schengen key importance and that it therefore should be improved Information System, data protection, police cooperation, by strengthening the rol‘e of the Europ ean Agency for the judicial cooperation in criminal matters and drugs Management of Operanonal. Cooperation at the .External policies. Borders of the European Union (Frontex), established by Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 (°), in this field. (2) By the Decision of the Executive Committee of 16 September 1998 (?) (SCH/Com-ex (98) 26 def) (here- ) . . inafter referred to as ‘the Decision of 16 September (6  The evaluation mechanism set up by the Decision of 1998), a Standing Committee on the evaluation and 16 SepFember 1998 should therefore be revised and implementation of Schengen was set up. The Standing the Decision of 16 September 1998 be repealed. Committee was given the mandate, first, to establish whether all the preconditions for lifting border control at internal borders with a candidate State have been fulfilled and, second, to ensure that the Schengen acquis (7)  The experience gathered during previous evaluations is properly applied by the States already implementing it in full. A specific evaluation and monitoring mechanism to verify application of the Schengen acquis is necessary given the need to ensure high uniform standards in its demonstrates the need to maintain a coherent evaluation mechanism covering all areas of the Schengen acquis except those where a specific evaluation mechanism already exists under Union law. () 0] C 53, 3.3.2005, p. 1. (% O] C 115, 4.5.2010, p. 1. (*) Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 of 26 October 2004 estab- lishing a European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (O] L 349, 25.11.2004, p. 1). () Opinion of 12 June 2013 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () OJ L 239, 22.9.2000, p. 138.