Schengen and EURO 2016

With an estimated 7m fans and 1m foreign visitors, the UEFA European Football Championships, EURO 2016, promises to be one of the largest sports events taking place in 2016. In order to be better equipped against the threats of terrorism and hooliganism, France has reintroduced controls at its borders under the Schengen Borders Code (SBC).

In the past, sporting events, G7 meetings, major international conferences and high profile state visits have also triggered the introduction of border controls in several Schengen member countries, for limited periods of time. However, strict conditions and procedures are applied to assess the necessity and the proportionality of the measure and its likely impact on the free movement of people within the Schengen area.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Terrorism, thugs and trash: France’s Euro 2016 headaches http://www.europeansources.info/record/terrorism-thugs-and-trash-frances-euro-2016-headaches/

ESO: Background information: In defence of open borders: Why Schengen remains valuable to European countries – including the UK http://www.europeansources.info/record/in-defence-of-open-borders-why-schengen-remains-valuable-to-european-countries-including-the-uk/

ESO: Background information: Schengen area http://www.europeansources.info/record/schengen-borders-and-visas/

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