Coordinate when reopening internal EU borders

“Member States must work together for a gradual, coordinated and responsible reopening of the internal Schengen borders in a unified way. Cohesion in this matter would provide much needed certainty at this time,” said EPP Group Vice-Chairman MEP Paulo Rangel, negotiator on a resolution concerning the situation of the Schengen area following the COVID-19 outbreak. MEPs in the Civil Liberties Committee will vote on the resolution today.

“The Schengen Area has never before faced such a serious pandemic on its territory. Understandably, Member States have reintroduced temporary border controls as an immediate health safeguard measure. Now, more importantly, we must see restrictions on the freedom of movement reduced to the same extent as the relaxation of COVID-19 containment measures,” added MEP Ioan-Rareș Bogdan, who also negotiated the resolution for the EPP Group.

“Internal border controls introduced as a contingency measure due to the spread of COVID-19 must be strictly time-limited, proportionate and used only for the period deemed necessary by the responsible health authorities. The Schengen Border Code serves a critical purpose – to regulate and protect a flagship EU project. We call on the European Commission to monitor these developments closely,” concluded Rangel.