The EU's passport-free travel space, known as the Schengen area, is one of the most tangible achievements of European integration. The Schengen area is one of the pillars of the European project.

The border-free Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens, along with non-EU nationals living in the EU or visiting the EU as tourists, exchange students or for business purposes (anyone legally present in the EU).

Free movement of persons enables every EU citizen to travel, work and live in an EU country without special formalities. Schengen underpins this freedom by enabling citizens to move around the Schengen Area without being subject to border checks.

Currently, all EU member states except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are part of the Schengen area. MEPs have called for Bulgaria and Romania to be fully admitted into Schengen on multiple occasions,

Additionally, also the non-EU States Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein have joined the Schengen Area.

During&nbsp;the pandemics and in order to slow down the spread of the virus some temporary travel restrictions were&nbsp;necessary to establish in the EU.

Schengen area

The free movement of persons is a fundamental right guaranteed by the EU to its citizens. It entitles every EU citizen to travel, work and live in any EU country without special formalities.

Schengen cooperation enhances this freedom by enabling citizens to cross internal borders without being subjected to border checks. The border-free Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens, as well as to many non-EU nationals, businessmen, tourists or other persons legally present on the EU territory.

Future of Schengen - 8th parliamentary term

The EU's passport-free travel space, known as the Schengen area, is one of the most tangible achievements of European integration. The Schengen area is one of the pillars of the European project.

The border-free Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens, along with non-EU nationals living in the EU or visiting the EU as tourists, exchange students or for business purposes (anyone legally present in the EU).&nbsp;

Free movement&nbsp;of persons enables every EU citizen to travel, work and live in an EU country without special formalities.

Schengen underpins this freedom by enabling citizens to move around the Schengen Area without being subject to border checks.

Today, the Schengen Area encompasses most EU countries, except for Bulgaria, Croatia,&nbsp;Cyprus, Ireland and Romania. However, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania are currently in the process of joining the Schengen Area and already applying the Schengen acquis to a large extent. Additionally, also the non-EU States Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein have joined the Schengen Area.

Since the start of the pandemics and in order to slow down the spread of the virus some travel restrictions have been necessary in the EU.

Schengen area (2019-2021)

EP Plenary session - Council and Commissions statements - 30 years of Copenhagen criteria - giving further impetus to EU enlargement policy

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - Schengen area

LIBE- Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders

LIBE vote -  Amending Regulation (EU) 2016/399 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders

EP Plenary session - Short presentation - Accession to the Schengen area

EP Plenary session - The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession

EP Plenary session - Draft Council Decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Croatia

EP Plenary session - Continued internal border controls in the Schengen area in light of the recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union

EP Plenary session - The accession of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia to the Schengen area

EP Plenary session - The Schengen evaluation mechanism

EP Plenary session - Annual Report on the functioning of the Schengen area

EP Plenary session - Covid-19 : EU coordination of health assessments and risk classification and the consequences on Schengen and the single market

EP Plenary session - Oral questions - Situation in the Schengen area following the Covid-19 outbreak

Plenary session - Strengthening the competitiveness of the Internal Market by developing the EU customs union and its governance

EP Plenary session - Annual Report on the functioning of the Schengen area - Report: Carlos Coelho (A8-0160/2018)

LIBE Committee hearing - ' The future of the Schengen area: internal management and governance, information systems and territorial scope '

Plenary session Week 50 2017 in Strasbourg - Enlargement and strengthening of the Schengen area : Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia

Press conference by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission and Ylva JOHANSSON, Commissioner for Home Affairs, on the revision of the Schengen Borders Code

Letno poročilo o delovanju schengenskega območja (razprava)

Annual Report on the functioning of the Schengen area (debate)

Širitev in okrepitev schengenskega območja: Bolgarija, Romunija in Hrvaška (razprava)

Enlargement and strengthening of the Schengen area: Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia (debate)

Vzpostavitev sistema vstopa/izstopa (SVI) za evidentiranje podatkov o vstopu in izstopu državljanov tretjih držav pri prehajanju zunanjih meja EU - Sprememba Zakonika o schengenskih mejah v zvezi z uporabo sistema vstopa/izstopa (razprava)

Establishing an Entry/Exit System (EES) to register entry and exit data of third country nationals crossing the EU external borders - Amendment of the Schengen Borders Code as regards the use of the Entry/Exit System (debate)

Povratek k polno delujočemu schengenskemu sistemu (razprava)

Restoring a fully functioning Schengen system (debate)

Begunska kriza, nadzor na zunanjih mejah in prihodnost schengenskega območja - Spoštovanje mednarodnega načela nevračanja - Financiranje instrumenta za pomoč beguncem v Turčiji - Porast rasnega sovraštva in nasilja nad begunci in migranti po Evropi (razprava)

Refugee emergency, external borders control and future of Schengen - Respect for the international principle of non-refoulement - Financing refugee facility for Turkey - Increased racist hatred and violence against refugees and migrants across Europe (debate)

Ocenjevalni mehanizem za preverjanje uporabe schengenskega pravnega reda - Začasna ponovna uvedba nadzora na notranjih mejah (razprava)

Evaluation mechanism to verify application of the Schengen acquis - Temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders (debate)

Kršitve schengenskih pravil (razprava)

Breaches of Schengen rules (debate)

Pravna podlaga predloga o vzpostavitvi schengenskega ocenjevalnega mehanizma (razprava)

Legal basis of the Schengen evaluation mechanism (debate)

Pridružitev Bolgarije in Romunije k schengenskemu območju (razprava)

Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen (debate)

Spremembe v zvezi s Schengnom (razprava)

Changes to Schengen (debate)

Uporaba določb schengenskega pravnega reda v Bolgariji in Romuniji (razprava)

Application of Schengen acquis in Bulgaria and Romania (debate)

Migracijski tokovi in azil ter njihov vpliv na Schengen (razprava)

Migration flows and asylum and their impact on Schengen (debate)

Uporaba določb schengenskega pravnega reda, ki se navezujejo na schengenski informacijski sistem, v Bolgariji in Romuniji (razprava)

Application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis relating to the Schengen Information System in Bulgaria and Romania (debate)

Evropski sklad za begunce za obdobje 2008–2013 (sprememba Odločbe št. 573/2007/ES Sveta) - Migracija s schengenskega informacijskega sistema (SIS 1+) na drugo generacijo schengenskega informacijskega sistema (SIS II) (sprememba uredbe (ES) št. 1104/2008) - Migracija s schengenskega informacijskega sistema (SIS 1+) na drugo generacijo schengenskega informacijskega sistema (SIS II) (sprememba Sklepa 2008/839/PNZ) - Vzpostavitev skupnega programa EU za ponovno naselitev (razprava)

European Refugee Fund for the period 2008 to 2013 (amendment of Decision No 573/2007/EC). - Migration from the Schengen Information System (SIS 1+) to the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) (amendment of Regulation (EC) No 1104/2008) - Migration from the Schengen Information System (SIS 1+) to the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) (amendment of Decision 2008/839/JHA) - The establishment of a joint EU resettlement programme (debate)

Ocenjevalni mehanizem za spremljanje uporabe schengenskega pravnega reda - Ocenjevalni mehanizem za preverjanje uporabe schengenskega pravnega reda (razprava)

Evaluation mechanism to monitor the application of the Schengen acquis - Establishment of an evaluation mechanism to verify the application of the Schengen acquis (debate)

Migracija na drugo generacijo schengenskega informacijskega sistema (SIS II) (Sklep) - Migracija na drugo generacijo schengenskega informacijskega sistema (SIS II) (Uredba) (razprava)

Migration to the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) - Migration to the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) (debate)

Uporaba Vizumskega informacijskega sistema (VIS) v skladu z Zakonikom o schengenskih mejah (razprava)

Use of the Visa Information System (VIS) under the Schengen Borders Code

MEPs ask the Commission about allegations that Member States are issuing visas in return for bribes in the Schengen area. In a debate with the European Commission, MEPs discuss recent allegations that Polish overseas consulates are accepting bribes in return for issuing Schengen visas, and their impact on the EU’s common visa policy and the Schengen free-travel area. Closing statement by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of promoting our European Way of Life

Commission statement - Corrupt large scale sale of Schengen visas: closing statement by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of promoting our European Way of Life

MEPs ask the Commission about allegations that Member States are issuing visas in return for bribes in the Schengen area. In a debate with the European Commission, MEPs discuss recent allegations that Polish overseas consulates are accepting bribes in return for issuing Schengen visas, and their impact on the EU’s common visa policy and the Schengen free-travel area. Second part of the debate.

Commission statement - Corrupt large scale sale of Schengen visas: MEP's debate (part 2)

MEPs ask the Commission about allegations that Member States are issuing visas in return for bribes in the Schengen area. In a debate with the European Commission, MEPs discuss recent allegations that Polish overseas consulates are accepting bribes in return for issuing Schengen visas, and their impact on the EU’s common visa policy and the Schengen free-travel area. First part of the debate.

Commission statement - Corrupt large scale sale of Schengen visas: MEP's debate (part 1)

MEPs ask the Commission about allegations that Member States are issuing visas in return for bribes in the Schengen area. In a debate with the European Commission, MEPs discuss recent allegations that Polish overseas consulates are accepting bribes in return for issuing Schengen visas, and their impact on the EU’s common visa policy and the Schengen free-travel area. Opening statement by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of promoting our European Way of Life. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Commission statement - Corrupt large scale sale of Schengen visas: opening statement by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of promoting our European Way of Life

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) votes on its position on the reform of the Schengen Borders Code (Union Code), which include new rules governing the movement of persons across borders. MEPs want to ensure a coherent EU response in cases of large-scale public cross-border health emergencies, allowing temporary restrictions on entering the Schengen area, but exempting from them EU citizens, long-term residents and asylum-seekers. As an alternative to border controls, the new rules would promote police cooperation in border regions. MEPs also argue that the provisions on the instrumentalisation of migrants should be covered by a separate proposal. Extracts from the vote and statement by Sylvie GUILLAUME (S&D, FR), Rapporteur.

Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders: extracts from the vote, statement by Sylvie GUILLAUME (S&D, FR), Rapporteur

Roberta METSOLA, EP President participates to the European Council meeting on the 15th December in Brussels. She gives a press conference and talks about the latest updates on the ongoing investigations in Belgium involving some members and staff of the European Parliament, the accession to Schengen of Bulgaria and Romania, the USA "Inflation Reduction Act", the RePowerEU plan, thanks the Czech presidency of the EU and welcome the upcoming Swedish Presidency.

Press conference by Roberta METSOLA, EP President at the European Council meeting 15/12

MEPs debate with the Commission and the Concil The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession for Romania and Bulgaria. Closing statements by Vladimir BALAŠ, Czech Minister of Education, Youth and Sport and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs.

The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession: closing statements by Vladimir BALAŠ, Czech Minister of Education, Youth and Sport and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs

MEPs debate the decision by the Council to not extend the travel-free Schengen area to Romania and Bulgaria. Extracts from the debate in plenary.

The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession: extracts from the debate

MEPs debate with the Commission and the Concil The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession for Romania and Bulgaria.

The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession: MEPs debate

MEPs debate with the Commission and the Concil The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession for Romania and Bulgaria. Opening statements by Vladimir BALAŠ, Czech Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, for the Council and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs.

The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession: opening statements by Vladimir BALAŠ , Czech Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, for the Council and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs

Plenary back Croatia’s Schengen accession. MEPs agree that the country already fulfils the necessary conditions to join the free-travel zone, and the Council must now take a unanimous decision to lift the remaining border controls between the Schengen area and Croatia. Extracts from the debate in the plenary.

Council decision on Schengen acquis in Croatia: extracts from the debate and the vote

Draft Council Decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Croatia closing statements. Closing statements by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of promoting our European Way of Life and by Paulo RANGEL (EPP, PT).

Draft Council Decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Croatia: closing statements by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission

MEPs debate on the Draft Council Decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Croatia.

Draft Council Decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Croatia: MEPs debate

Opening statements by Paulo RANGEL (EPP, PT), Rapporteur and by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of promoting our European Way of Life on the draft Council Decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Croatia.

Draft Council Decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Croatia: opening statements by Paulo RANGEL (EPP, PT), Rapporteur and by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission

MEPs review the rules about temporary border controls within the Schengen free-movement area, and adopt a resolution on Bulgaria and Romania’s membership. Closing statements by Ivan BARTOŠ, Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs.

Continued internal border controls in the Schengen area, in light of the recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU: closing statements by Ivan BARTOŠ, Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs

MEPs review the rules about temporary border controls within the Schengen free-movement area, and adopt a resolution on Bulgaria and Romania’s membership.

Continued internal border controls in the Schengen area in light of the recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU: MEPs debate

MEPs review the rules about temporary border controls within the Schengen free-movement area, and adopt a resolution on Bulgaria and Romania’s membership. Opening statements by Ivan BARTOŠ, Czech Deputy Prime Minister and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs.

Continued internal border controls in the Schengen area, in light of the recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU: opening statements by Ivan BARTOŠ, Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs

In the debate with the Commission and Council, MEPs call for the Schengen passport-free travel area to be completed swiftly by extending it to all EU member states who wish to participate. Closing statements by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of promoting our European Way of Life and by Mikuláš BEK, Czech Minister for European Affairs.

The accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area: closing statements by Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of promoting our European Way of Life and by Mikuláš BEK, Czech Minister for European Affairs

50 rezultatov

EP Plenary session - Council and Commissions statements - 30 years of Copenhagen criteria - giving further impetus to EU enlargement policy

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - Schengen area

LIBE- Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders

LIBE vote - Amending Regulation (EU) 2016/399 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders

EP Plenary session - Short presentation - Accession to the Schengen area

EP Plenary session - The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession

EP Plenary session - Draft Council Decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Croatia

EP Plenary session - Continued internal border controls in the Schengen area in light of the recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union

EP Plenary session - The accession of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia to the Schengen area

EP Plenary session - The Schengen evaluation mechanism

EP Plenary session - Annual Report on the functioning of the Schengen area

EP Plenary session - Covid-19 : EU coordination of health assessments and risk classification and the consequences on Schengen and the single market

EP Plenary session - Covid-19 : EU coordination of health assessments and risk classification and the consequences on Schengen and the single market

EP Plenary session - Oral questions - Situation in the Schengen area following the Covid-19 outbreak

Plenary session - Strengthening the competitiveness of the Internal Market by developing the EU customs union and its governance

EP Plenary session - Annual Report on the functioning of the Schengen area - Report: Carlos Coelho (A8-0160/2018)

LIBE Committee hearing - ' The future of the Schengen area: internal management and governance, information systems and territorial scope '

Plenary session Week 50 2017 in Strasbourg - Enlargement and strengthening of the Schengen area : Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia