Schengen

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE SCHENGEN AREA?

Abolition of internal border controls, while ensuring a high level of security for its citizens. This involves tightening and applying uniform criteria on controls at the common external border, developing cooperation between border guards, national police and judicial authorities and using sophisticated information-exchange systems.

KEY POINTS

Evolution of Schengen cooperation

Schengen cooperation has grown from a five-country initiative into a core EU policy area that governs internal border-free travel and external border control, in the following stages:

• 1985. Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands sign an agreement, in the Luxembourg village of Schengen, on the gradual abolition of their internal border controls.
• 1990. The same five countries sign the Schengen Implementing Convention detailing measures and safeguards for applying the agreement.
• 1995. Creation of the Schengen area without internal frontiers with the abolition of internal border controls between seven EU Member States.
• 1999. The Schengen Protocol to the Amsterdam Treaty incorporates Schengen cooperation into the EU legal framework.
• 2022. Setting up the Schengen Council and the Schengen Council cycle, a cornerstone of the Schengen governance system.
• 2025. Approval of the Schengen Declaration to mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen Agreement and to renew commitment to an area without internal borders.

Membership

• Starting with the five founding members, Schengen now includes all the Member States except for Ireland, together with four associated countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Internal border checks in practice

• Any person legally present in the Schengen area, whatever their nationality, can cross internal borders without being checked.
• National authorities can carry out police spot checks, either at the border or in border areas, when these are based on general information and experience and are not systematic passport controls.
• Individuals are required to carry certain travel documents, depending on whether they are EU nationals, non-EU family members or non-EU citizens.
• Any country that is part of the Schengen area may exceptionally reintroduce controls at the internal borders, as a temporary measure of last resort, if there is a serious threat to public policy or internal security. It must inform other Schengen states, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the public. Following COVID, the Schengen Borders Code includes now also specific rules for introducing measures in case of health crisis, which confers a role to the Council of the European Union.

Enhanced security

Schengen encompasses a single set of rules that cover:

• the manner in which checks on persons crossing an EU external border should be conducted, according to the Schengen Borders Code;
• the harmonisation of entry conditions, with a common visa policy and rules on short-stay visas;
• deeper cooperation among countries and European agencies for combating cross-border crime;
• stronger judicial cooperation through a faster extradition system and the transfer of criminal judgments between jurisdictions.

The Schengen information system (SIS)

This large-scale information system:

• supports external border control and law enforcement cooperation between Schengen States;
• was created in 1995 and subsequently expanded, most recently in 2023, with new alerts, upgrades to and photographs of alerts, in light of developing migration and security challenges;
• contains information on:
  • suspected criminals,
  • individuals who may not have the right to enter or stay in the EU,
  • missing persons,
  • stolen, misappropriated or lost property;
• is used by national authorities responsible for:
  • border controls,
  • police and customs checks,
  • public prosecutions in criminal proceedings and judicial inquiries prior to charge,
  • visas and residence permits;
• may be accessed by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, (Frontex), the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol).

Visa information system (VIS)

The visa information system allows Schengen states to share visa data, especially on short-term visa applications. Like the Schengen information system, it is operated by the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA).

Membership conditions

New Member States must align their national systems with all Schengen rules as part of the EU enlargement process. This involves building the institutional and operational capacity to apply Schengen rules to the highest standards through a strong national Schengen governance framework.

When a country joins the EU, it becomes a Schengen state, meaning all Schengen rules become binding upon accession. However, some provisions only apply at a later stage – such as full active access to all information systems, the right to issue Schengen visas and the abolition of internal border controls. For these to apply, the new Schengen state must undergo a comprehensive evaluation coordinated by the Commission and carried out in close cooperation with Member States, under the Schengen evaluation mechanism (see summary).

Once the evaluation confirms that the country meets all the necessary conditions and applies the Schengen acquis effectively, the Council adopts a decision authorising the lifting of internal border controls. This final step marks the country’s full integration into the Schengen area without controls at the internal borders.