Schengen, the EU’s passport-free zone, encompasses 29 countries.
The ability to move freely without the need to show a passport, live, work, study, or even retire in any of the 26 countries that make up the Schengen border-free area is undoubtedly one of the most significant achievements of European integration.
The right to free movement, originating from the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, grants citizens the right to move and reside freely within the European Union. This principle was effectively implemented with the gradual removal of internal borders, thanks to the establishment of the Schengen Area in 1995.
Currently, 27 countries are full members of the Schengen system: 25 EU member states, along with Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, which are associated states. Although Ireland is not part of Schengen, it may choose to apply some provisions of the agreement and has a common travel area with the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, Denmark is part of Schengen but has the option not to adopt new measures related to justice and home affairs, including Schengen governance, while still adhering to certain common visa policies. Cyprus, on the other hand, is undergoing an evaluation process to determine whether it is ready to join the Schengen Area.
In November 2022, the European Parliament approved Croatia’s accession to the Schengen Area before the end of that year, which was implemented on January 1, 2023. In July 2023, the Parliament urged the Council to authorize Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen before the end of that year, emphasizing that both countries had already met the necessary requirements. As of March 31, 2024, air and sea border controls within the EU were removed for both countries, while land border controls will be abolished on January 1, 2025.
Countries wishing to join the Schengen Area must assume responsibility for monitoring the European Union’s external borders. Additionally, they must implement a set of common rules, such as controls at land, sea, and air borders, and the uniform issuance of Schengen visas. They must also ensure a high level of security within the Schengen Area by cooperating with law enforcement authorities in other member countries. Finally, they must connect to the Schengen Information System (SIS) to share security-related information.
Although internal border controls have been abolished, member states retain the right to reintroduce temporary controls if there are serious threats to internal security or public order. Since the 2015 migration crisis and the rise in terrorist threats, several countries reinstated these controls, a measure that was also adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic to curb the virus’s spread.
In December 2021, the European Commission proposed an update to the rules governing the Schengen Area to ensure that reintroducing internal border controls remains an exceptional measure rather than a frequent practice. This proposal also promoted alternative measures, such as more targeted police checks and increased cooperation between security forces. Despite criticism from the European Parliament regarding the reintroduction of these controls, in February 2024, the Parliament and the Council reached an agreement to update Schengen rules. These new regulations, which came into effect in July 2024, include a risk assessment by national authorities before deciding to reintroduce controls and grant a more active supervisory role to the European Commission.
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