(1)   

In accordance with Article 3(2) of the Treaty on European Union, the Union shall offer its citizens an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers in which the free movement of persons is ensured, in conjunction with appropriate measures with respect to external border controls, asylum, immigration and the prevention and combating of crime.

(2)   

Pursuant to Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code) (codification) (1), a Member States may, when confronted with a serious threat to public policy or internal security, exceptionally and temporarily reintroduce border control at all or specific sections of its internal borders. This should only be done as a measure of last resort and the scope and duration of the temporary reintroduction of border control should not exceed what is strictly necessary to respond to the serious threat identified.

(3)   

Article 25a(4) of the Schengen Borders Code specifies that where a Member State intends to reintroduce border control at internal borders to address a foreseeable serious threat, it is to notify the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the other Member States of the planned reintroduction of such control, at the latest four weeks before the planned reintroduction of border control, or as soon as possible where the circumstances giving rise to the need to reintroduce border control at internal borders become known to the Member State less than four weeks before the planned reintroduction.

(4)   

Norway applies the Schengen acquis and participates in the area without controls at internal borders in accordance with the Agreement concluded by the Council of the European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the latter’s association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis (2).

(5)   

Article 27a(3) of the Schengen Borders Code requires the Commission, following receipt of notifications submitted in relation to a prolongation of border control at the internal border under Article 25a(4) which leads to the continuation of border control at internal borders for more than 12 months in total, based on the same grounds, to issue an opinion on the necessity and proportionality of such border control.

(6)   

The framework for the reintroduction and prolongation of internal border control was substantially revised by Regulation (EU) 2024/1717 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3), which entered into force on 10 July 2024. Consequently, the start of all the periods referred to in Title III, Chapter II of the Schengen Borders Code have been calculated from that date.

(7)   

By letter dated 14 October 2024, the Norwegian authorities notified the reintroduction of border control on the basis of Article 25a of the Schengen Borders Code, at the internal sea borders with ferry connections within the Schengen area (ports of Oslo, Sandefjord, Larvik, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Bergen), from 12 November 2024 until 11 May 2025.

(8)   

By letter dated 11 April 2025, the Norwegian authorities notified the prolongation of the reintroduction of internal border control for an additional period of six months, from 12 May 2025 until 11 November 2025. By letter dated 15 October 2025, the Norwegian authorities notified a second prolongation of the reintroduction of internal border control for a further period of six months, from 12 November 2025 until 11 May 2026. By letter dated 15 October 2025, the Norwegian authorities notified a third prolongation of the reintroduction of internal border control for a further period of six months, from 12 May 2026 until 11 November 2026.

(9)   

Norway was included in the Commission’s structured dialogue on the reintroduction of internal border control. Following the receipt of Norway’s notification for a prolongation, this structured dialogue has continued as part of a consultation process provided for by Article 27a(4) of the Schengen Borders Code.

(10)   

The current state of play at internal borders was described in the State of Schengen Report of 23 April 2025 (4) and is regularly discussed at the Schengen Council.

(11)   

As Norway reintroduced and prolonged the border control at the internal sea borders with ferry connections on the same grounds, for a continued period of more than 12 months in total, the Commission is to issue an opinion on the necessity and proportionality of such border control.

(12)   

Following an assessment of all the abovementioned notifications, supplemented with the information provided in the framework of the consultation process and other official documents, publicly available, the Commission adopts the following Opinion.