In 1985, five countries – the BeNeLux countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg), Germany and France – signed the Schengen Agreement, committed to gradually lift controls at their shared borders. It took a few more years to agree how this was going to be done. The Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement (CISA 1990) entered into force in 1995. With the Amsterdam Treaty, the Schengen Acquis became part of the EU frame work. Today, several enlargements later, the Schengen Area comprises 29 countries: 25 member states of the EU and 4 non-EU countries.
Work in progress, coming soon.
The Schengen Area is considered the largest area of free movement in the world and a milestone in the EU integration process. 40 years of the Schengen Agreement and 30 years of Schengen implementation were celebrated in 2025. Yet, the anniversary falls into a decennial, in which the re-introduction of border control between Schengen countries has been far from exceptional.
The Schengen Borders Code, based on initial provisions of the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement, is an EU Regulation that sets the rules for governing the movement of persons into and within the Schengen Area. Accordingly, „internal borders may be crossed at any point without a border check on persons, irrespective of their nationali ty, being carried out“ (art.22).
It also lays down the rules for re-introducing border control as last resort in cases of a „serious threat to public policy or internal security“. This can be in three types of cases:
a) foreseen circumstances/events,
b) situations that require immediate action,
c) exceptional circumstances that put the functioning of the Schengen area at risk.
Visualised in the infographic below, the re-introduction of border control at internal Schengen borders by year and by number of Member States. 2015 signs crucial shift: a) in the reasons Member States provide for reintroducing border control, b) in the increased number of Member States using this measure.
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The EU Police Cooperation Code initiative (2021) was envisaged in the 2020 EU Security Union Strategy as well as in the 2021 Schengen Strategy.
Downloadable excerpt with infographics: Weissensteiner (2025) Schengen quo vadis (part I) on zenodo: https://zenodo.org/records/16737127
European Commission / DG Migration and Home Affairs, Full list of Member States’ notifications of the temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders, pursuant to Article 25 et seq. of the Schengen Borders Code [online], https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/schengen-area/temporary-reintroduction-border-control_en [as of/accessed on 1.2.2025].