Proposal for a Council Implementing Decision setting out a Recommendation for prolonging temporary internal border control in exceptional circumstances putting the overall functioning of the Schengen area at risk

On 12 May 2016, the Council adopted, on a proposal by the Commission, an Implementing Decision setting out a Recommendation for temporary internal border control in exceptional circumstances putting the overall functioning of the Schengen area at risk. It was the first time that the safeguard procedure of Article 29 of the Schengen Borders Code was used. The combination of serious deficiencies in the management of the external border by Greece at that time and the important number of unregistered migrants present in Greece who may have sought to move irregularly to other Member States created exceptional circumstances constituting a serious threat to public policy and internal security and endangering the overall functioning of the Schengen area.

This Recommendation was addressed to five Schengen States (Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway) and concerned a limited number of internal border sections in these States. The Recommendation allowed for the maintenance of targeted and proportionate controls for a period of six months, namely until 12 November 2016. Under Article 29 of the Schengen Borders Code, this period can be prolonged in accordance with the conditions and procedure set out in the same Article.

EUR-Lex: COM(2016)711: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2016:711:FIN

ESO: Background information: Commission recommends extending temporary internal border controls for a limited period of three months http://www.europeansources.info/record/commission-recommends-extending-temporary-internal-border-controls-for-a-limited-period-of-three-months/

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