Multilateral cooperation 42 | systematic controls of persons are prohibited. Moreover, both the police and the Immigration and Passport Office have access to the EU-wide information systems such as the search database SIS, the visa information system VIS, and EURODAC, which uses fingerprints to determine whether asylum-seekers have already applied for asylum in another Schengen country or entered illegally. Based on information from these databases, simple and fast searches for criminals or stolen cars can for instance be conducted throughout Europe, visa abuse can be combated, and abusive asylum applications can be stopped. It addition to the actual Schengen association protocols, other agreements had to be concluded that are directly related to Schengen. These include the agreement to expand the application of Schengen rules to the relationship between Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland, as well as the inclusion of Denmark with its special status, entailing the further development of the Schengen acquis. Agreements were also necessary to regulate Liechtenstein’s participation in the EU external borders agency FRONTEX and the EU External Borders Fund as «solidarity instruments» for the countries at the EU external borders most heavily affected by migration pressure. Additionally, a framework agreement had to be concluded with Switzerland concerning stay, visa procedures and cooperation in the border area as well as an agreement on the import and export of weapons that became necessary to maintain the status quo in the shared customs areas even after accession to Schengen. Currently, cooperation agreements with EUROJUST and EUROPOL as well as an agreement to participate in the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) are under preparation. Council of Europe The activities in recent years have focused on reform processes. Building on the resolutions of the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe in Warsaw in 2005, two reform processes were launched in particular. The first process is the reform of the Council of Europe as an overall organisation, which was initiated by Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland immediately after his election in October 2009 and which he has since advanced. The main goal of the process, which Liechtenstein has supported from the beginning, is to strengthen the Council of Europe as a political body and as an innovative and flexible organisation, in order to enhance its visibility again and increase its importance for the more than 800 million citizens of Europe. The focus of the implementation of this goal is a renewed concentration on the thematic priorities of the Council of Europe: human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Since these issues are also priorities of Liechtenstein’s foreign policy, this process is in the interest of Liechtenstein. Additionally, the efficiency of the Council of Europe’s work is to be improved. For example, the Secretariat of the organisation and the various expert bodies have undergone a structural reform for this purpose. The budget is now also biennial instead of annual, in order to ensure more planning security and continuity.