European Commission: Home Affairs

The free movement of persons is a fundamental right guaranteed by the EU to its citizens. It entitles every EU citizen to travel, work and live in any EU country without special formalities. Schengen cooperation enhances this freedom by enabling citizens to cross internal borders without being subjected to border checks. The border-free Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens, as well as to many non-EU nationals, businessmen, tourists or other persons legally present on the EU territory.

Free movement in Europe

Originally, the concept of free movement was to enable the European working population to freely travel and settle in any EU State, but it fell short of abolishing border controls within the Union. A break-through came in 1985 when cooperation between individual governments led to the signing, in Schengen (a small village in Luxembourg), of the Agreement on the gradual abolition of checks at common borders, followed by the signing in 1990 of the Convention implementing that agreement. The implementation of the Schengen Agreements started in 1995, initially involving seven EU States. Born as an intergovernmental initiative, the developments brought about by the Schengen Agreements have now been incorporated into the body of rules governing the EU. Today, the Schengen Area encompasses most EU States, except for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom. However, Bulgaria and Romania are currently in the process of joining the Schengen Area. Of non-EU States, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland have joined the Schengen Area and Liechtenstein is expected to join by the end of 2011.

Freedom and security for travellers

The Schengen provisions abolish checks at the Union's internal borders, while tightening controls at the external borders, in accordance with a single set of rules. These rules cover several areas:

• a common set of rules applying to people crossing the EU external borders, including the types of visa needed and how checks at external borders have to be carried out;
• harmonisation of the conditions of entry and of the rules on visas for short stays (up to three months);
• enhanced police cooperation (including rights of cross-border surveillance and hot pursuit);
• stronger judicial cooperation through a faster extradition system and transfer of enforcement of criminal judgments;
• establishment and development of the Schengen Information System (SIS).

Conditions for joining the Schengen Area

Joining the Schengen Area is not merely a political decision. Countries must also fulfil a list of pre-conditions, such as be prepared and have the capacity to:

• take responsibility for controlling the external borders on behalf of the other Schengen States and for issuing uniform Schengen visas;

• efficiently cooperate with law enforcement agencies in other Schengen States in order to maintain a high level of security once border controls between Schengen countries are abolished;
• apply the common set of Schengen rules (the so-called Schengen "acquis"), such as controls of land, sea and air borders (airports), issuing of visas, police cooperation and protection of personal data;
• connect to and use the SIS.

Applicant countries undergo a "Schengen evaluation" before joining the Schengen Area and periodically thereafter to ensure the correct application of the legislation.