The European Commission recalled, on 6 November, that it already intended to present an overhaul of the Schengen area and that the “reflection will be launched at the beginning of December” during a Forum on Schengen which will bring together the European Parliament, the Ministers of the Interior and the Commission, indicated the spokesman Christian Wigand.
He was reacting to the announcement made the day before by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, that new French proposals will be made to the December European Council to carry out a thorough reform of the free movement area (see EUROPE 12596/11).
Announced by the Commission in the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the strategy to be launched in early 2021 will aim to strengthen external border controls, cooperation and information exchange between national authorities, develop interconnected border management systems, give an increased support role to EU agencies and improve the implementation and enforcement of Schengen rules.
The spokesman recalled that freedom of movement in the Schengen area is one of Europe’s greatest achievements, but that the “ growing tensions” it has experienced in recent years have “made reform necessary”.
The Commission had already launched a review in 2017 at the request of, in particular, France and Germany, who called for a reform to make the Schengen Code more flexible and adapt it to new threats (see EUROPE 11871/3). It was intended to enable Member States to carry out additional internal controls on a new basis, but was not successful as the European Parliament and the EU Council could not find common ground (EUROPE 12203/9). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)