The European Commission wants to see internal border controls within the Schengen area gradually scaled back.
In a statement published on June 2, 2026, Brussels said it had issued opinions on the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls by nine countries: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden.
The opinions fall under the revised Schengen Borders Code. When internal border controls are maintained for more than 12 months on the same grounds, the European Commission is required to assess whether they are necessary and proportionate. It also reviews available alternatives and the measures taken to limit the negative impact on cross-border travel.
Controls are allowed, but must remain exceptional
The Commission recalled that EU law allows member states to temporarily reintroduce internal border controls when they face a serious threat to public policy or internal security.
Brussels acknowledged that the countries concerned acted in response to what it described as “genuine and legitimate” concerns, particularly related to security threats and the migration situation.
But these checks are not meant to become a routine border management tool. In the Schengen area, free movement is built on the absence of systematic controls at internal borders. Any reintroduction must therefore remain temporary, necessary and proportionate.
The Commission also noted that such measures have direct consequences for neighboring countries, cross-border workers, carriers and communities living on both sides of the border. Waiting times, road or rail checks and logistical disruptions can affect the daily functioning of border regions.
Brussels recommends a gradual lifting of controls
In its opinions, the Commission recommends that the nine countries work toward phasing out and gradually lifting internal border controls.
That recommendation does not mean Brussels dismisses the security or migration challenges cited by member states. However, the Commission believes that, in many cases, other tools can meet the same objectives with less impact on free movement.
The Commission specifically points to non-systematic police checks, risk-based controls, mobile biometric identification technologies and vehicle monitoring tools. According to Brussels, these measures can serve as more effective and proportionate alternatives to prolonged border controls.
It also notes that several member states already use targeted, non-systematic checks. These practices could therefore, in the Commission’s view, be gradually replaced by or integrated into alternative control systems, without maintaining internal border checks in their current form.
EES and ETIAS highlighted in Europe’s border strategy
The Commission also places these opinions within the broader context of the European Union’s modernization of its external borders.
It says the Entry/Exit System (EES), now fully operational since April 2026, is intended to strengthen the monitoring of entries and exits by non-EU nationals at the external borders of the Schengen area.
The future European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) is also cited as a tool that will complement this framework. Once deployed, ETIAS will require visa-exempt travelers to obtain a digital authorization before traveling to the Schengen area for a short stay.
For Brussels, these new systems should improve member states’ ability to identify movements, detect overstays and better monitor crossings at the EU’s external borders. The aim is also to reduce the political and operational pressure that has led some countries to maintain controls at internal borders.
The Pact on Migration and Asylum presented as a key factor
The Commission also links the opinions to the upcoming implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum.
According to Brussels, the new framework should strengthen the management of the EU’s external borders and provide member states with more effective tools to address unauthorized movements within the Schengen area.
This is presented as an important structural condition for eventually enabling the gradual lifting of internal border controls.
The Commission also points to the dialogue underway with the member states concerned. It says the consultation process led by the Schengen coordinator has already helped improve operational coordination, information sharing and the management of waiting times at borders.
A sensitive issue for the Schengen area
Internal border controls remain a sensitive issue within the Schengen area.
For several years, various member states have reintroduced or extended such controls on grounds related to security, terrorism, irregular migration or tensions at the EU’s external borders. The duration of some of these measures has fueled debate over their compatibility with the spirit of Schengen, which is based on free movement.
The Schengen Borders Code allows a member state to reintroduce internal border controls when a serious threat justifies it. In principle, the maximum duration of such controls should not exceed two years. An additional extension may, however, be considered in a major exceptional situation involving a serious and persistent threat.
It is within this framework that the Commission adopted its opinions on June 2, 2026.
