Commissioner Johansson's speech at the Plenary debate on internal border controls and their impact on Schengen

I am proud to live in the Schengen area. And I think all of us are.

The biggest area of free movement in the world. 450 million people in 29 countries, who can move freely through Europe. Nearly 30% of our population lives in a border region. 50 million people live right next to an internal border – within 20 kilometres.

Thank you for putting this important debate on the agenda. Free movement is essential to our citizens and businesses. Internal border controls must be temporary, and a measure of last resort. I am also proud that this mandate we welcomed Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania into Schengen. I have fought very hard for this. The impact on people is huge. No passports – no queues. This is what Europe is about.

A friend from Romania told me how amazing it is at the airport. When their children laugh and say “Mum, no passports!” And that's because Schengen is not only the foundation of our prosperity. Schengen is part of our identity. Part of who we are. Bulgaria and Romania have gone above and beyond. Carried out all the extra measures. And my message to ministers on Thursday at the Justice and Home Affairs Council will be:

Take the last step. Lift the border controls also at the land borders – before the year is out. They deserve it. The time is right.

The last five years we made Schengen more secure. Together, we did much more on security, than I thought possible. A new mandate for Europol – the bedrock of police cooperation in the EU. With more powers, more resources, more staff. New laws and initiatives to boost police cooperation and information exchange. Stepping up the fight against organised crime and drugs trafficking. The last five years, we've made the Schengen governance stronger. We embarked on an ambitious Schengen reform.

When I started as Commissioner, there was little structural cooperation at the political level on Schengen. I wanted to move from administering Schengen to governing Schengen. There must be political leadership. Political responsibility. So we put in place the Schengen Council for ministers to meet and decide on priorities. When I started, Schengen challenges were often addressed as they arose. Improvisation is good, but coordination is better. We set up the annual Schengen cycle of governance. Every year based on a State of Schengen report. Showing progress made and problems outstanding. And as part of this reform we revised the Schengen Borders Code. And I thank the Parliament for all your work on this.

Internal border controls must be temporary, proportionate and a measure of last resort. Only in face of a serious threat to public policy or internal security. And though Member States have the right to introduce temporary border controls under strict conditions, it's clear they risk undermining the benefits of free movement. No-one wants to stand in long traffic jams before the border. Especially not commuters on their way to work. We all want to stop criminals and terrorists. But we don't want to stop travel, trade and tourism.

This is why the Commission works tirelessly with Member States to lift internal controls. The Schengen Coordinator I appointed is working very closely with the Member States. Both those with internal border controls. And those affected by them. And as a result several Member States lifted their temporary border controls. We launched a consultation last year with Member States. Both those who introduced internal checks and those affected by them. And these are the basis for our dialogue to lift controls and find alternatives. Because alternative measures should always be prioritised.

As a result of this dialogue, Member States are using alternatives for internal border controls. Like joint patrols. Joint investigations. Joint police stations. And when there are border checks, these must have as little impact as possible on cross border traffic. And must take into account all those people living in border regions.

Thanks to our Schengen reform we are now better equipped to deal with internal border checks. The Schengen Borders Code introduces clear new rules. And this Thursday I will discuss Schengen challenges with ministers at the Council. Based on the Schengen barometer – an innovation we introduced during this mandate.

Finally let me say I am proud of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. A historic agreement that shows our citizens we can compromise on the most difficult challenges together. All Member States are now working hard to put the Pact into practice by mid-2026. The Pact will help us to protect people, to protect our borders and manage migration in an orderly way. And I am sure: this will also reduce the need Member States feel for internal border checks.

We must safeguard free movement for the future. We also must keep people safe. For that now we need to do three things. Protect our external borders even better. Use the new Schengen Borders Code. And fully implement the Pact on Migration and Asylum. And I count on you in this House to make this a reality. Do everything in your power. To make Schengen strong and Europe safe.

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