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

In 2015, a number of EU Member States reintroduced temporary border controls, following record flows of migrants arriving in the European Union and important secondary movements. This situation constituted a serious threat to public policy or internal security in several Schengen States. Threats were due to serious deficiencies in ensuring efficient border control at parts of the Union's external border, which put the overall functioning of the Schengen area at risk.

A coordinated approach at EU level was adopted through a Recommendation by the Council to the five Schengen States most affected (Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway) to maintain proportionate temporary border control at limited sections of their internal borders. The Council initially recommended the maintenance of proportionate temporary internal border control for a period of six months.

The Council twice prolonged its Recommendation, for three months each time, for the same five Schengen States. At the same time, the Council noted the improvement of the overall situation due to the various measures taken. Therefore, the reintroduced border control was submitted to stricter conditions and a detailed monthly reporting obligation for the Schengen States concerned was imposed. The period can be again prolonged if the exceptional circumstances persist.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2017)226: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2017:226:FIN

ESO: Background information: Recommendation on last extension of internal border controls before phasing-out http://www.europeansources.info/record/recommendation-on-last-extension-of-internal-border-controls-before-phasing-out/

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