Celebrate 40 years of Schengen

Schengen facilitates the lives of millions of Europeans to seamlessly move for work, study, family, or simply to explore. It enables citizens to build lives without additional barriers, strengthening the very essence of what it means to be European. Schengen turns the promise of freedom into a lived reality for millions.

Schengen embodies the freedom to seize opportunities, empowering citizens, and uniting the European community. This is particularly relevant at a time when there are intents to divide us, making the Schengen project even more important as the means to unite us.

Thousands of authorities across Member States and EU agencies work together daily to ensure the safety of our communities and protect our freedoms. Schengen provides the tools, collective resources, and capabilities necessary to address today’s complex, transnational threats.

Through Schengen, we extend our first line of security to third countries, with a rigorous and harmonised visa policy that ensures a high level of scrutiny in determining who can enter, before they set a foot in the Schengen area. Similarly, at the external borders, Schengen enables coordinated efforts to safeguard the integrity of the entire area. For instance, the Schengen Information System contains millions of alerts on individuals who pose a threat to our society. Regardless of where they attempt to enter, authorities across all Schengen States can immediately take the necessary actions to ensure our safety. Furthermore, the daily interactions between law enforcement and immigration authorities are key to making this system work seamlessly.

This is the most invisible aspect of Schengen. Its focus on prevention rather than reaction is what allow us to uphold the integrity of the Schengen area as whole. It is precisely this unseen work that proves indispensable in today’s complex world.

The Schengen area is a fundamental enabler of the Single Market, by supporting the free movement of goods, services and people. Every day, over 32 million enterprises operating within Schengen benefit from its existence. From a Dutch logistics company delivering to clients in Romania, to a Czech engineer working on-site in Luxembourg, or a Polish business attending a trade fair in Italy – Schengen enables smooth, cost-efficient operations across the Single Market.

Now more than ever, in the face of a shifting geopolitical and economic environment, the European economy needs a barrier-free environment. Schengen plays a key role in supporting this environment, contributing to increased growth and reduced delays by facilitating supply chains to function seamlessly. It helps companies of all sizes to expand across borders boosting trade, while also making it easier for people to take up jobs in other Member States. By promoting internal trade, Schengen also reduces reliance on external dependencies, thereby strengthening Europe’s autonomy and self-sufficiency, helping all Europeans share its benefits.