Communication on ‘preserving and strengthening Schengen’

Background and further information:

This Communication responds to the commitment of the European Commission to preserve and strengthen the Schengen area, as mentioned during the 2017 State of the Union address.

Since its conception, the Schengen area has been confronted with different types of challenges and threats. For instance, the pressure from the mass irregular migration influx and the multiplication of terrorist attacks in various Member States exposed shortcomings in the Schengen architecture that required further action. The Back to Schengen Roadmap was one of the key steps to remedy those challenges, which comprised the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls for the five most concerned countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden).

This Communication includes the adoption of a Recommendation on better application of the existing rules and a proposal to update the Schengen Borders Code in light of the challenges facing Europe. It also calls for a swift integration of Bulgaria and Romania in the Schengen agreement, and of Croatia once it fulfills all the criteria.

The European Commission published on 27 September 2017 a Communication drawing the conclusions from the implementation of the Back to Schengen Roadmap and proposing next steps for strengthening Schengen.

• Primary Source

Reuters, 27.09.17: EU border controls could be extended in crisis, Commission says https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1C21OU

European Commission: Press Release, 27.09.17: Preserving and strengthening Schengen to improve security and safeguard Europe's freedoms http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-3407_en.htm

European Commission: Preserving and strengthening the Schengen area [Q&A] http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-17-3408_en.htm

European Commission: Remarks by Commissioner Avramopoulos on a stronger, more effective and fairer EU migration and asylum policy and on preserving and strengthening Schengen http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-17-3503_en.htm

The Sofia Globe, 27.09.17: European Commission calls on EU leaders to integrate Bulgaria, Romania into Schengen zone http://sofiaglobe.com/2017/09/27/european-commission-calls-on-eu-leaders-to-integrate-bulgaria-romania-into-schengen-zone/

EUObserver, 27.09.17: EU proposes three-year internal border checks https://euobserver.com/justice/139184

Euronews, 27.09.17: EU mulls bringing back border controls to tackle security threats http://www.euronews.com/2017/09/27/eu-mulls-bringing-back-border-controls-to-tackle-security-threats

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