‘Schengen’: a race against the time or a fools’ game?

The 'Schengen area' crisis is not merely a crisis in solidarity, but also, primarily, a crisis in the trust between co-owners that have no wish to move out of their shared abode. It makes for a race against time between bringing back national border controls and the Europeanisation of external border controls, a race whose conclusion must allow us to reinforce Schengen. In this Viewpoint, Yves Bertoncini and António Vitorino focus on three key issues:

1. Addressing the migrant crisis: enforced solidarity, ongoing mistrust
2. Addressing the terror threat: an instinctive solidarity, but a trust that has yet to be built
3. A crisis of co-owners to solve this Spring… or in 2018

They conclude that the race against time between national and European border controls will be a fools’ game if it obscures the fact that the essential thing for Europeans is to act beyond borders and attack the source of con­flicts that have created a massive flow of refugees and terrorist safe havens.

ESO: Background information: Mini-Schengen not an option, for now http://www.europeansources.info/record/mini-schengen-not-an-option-for-now/

ESO: Background information: Informal meeting of the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs, Scheepvaartmuseum, Amsterdam, 25-26 January 2016 http://www.europeansources.info/record/informal-meeting-of-the-ministers-of-justice-and-home-affairs-scheepvaartmuseum-amsterdam-25-26-january-2016/

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

EurActiv, 03.02.16: End to Schengen deal would cost Europe €110 bln: French adviser http://www.euractiv.com/sections/trade-society/end-schengen-deal-would-cost-europe-eu110-bln-french-adviser-321533

Politico, 04.02.16: Backlash grows to Schengen backlash http://www.politico.eu/article/backlash-grows-to-schengen-backlash-migration-crisis-borders-terrorism-security-borderless-europe/

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