On March 26, 1995, seven countries located in Europe opened their borders to start the implementation of the Schengen Area Agreement signed ten years in advance on June 14, 1985.

France, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain are the first Schengen members that abolished their internal border checks, creating the world’s most famous borderless zone.

Michel Gloden, the current mayor of Schengen, a Luxembourg village of 600 inhabitants, still remembers the events of March 26, 1995.

“…with the entry into force of the Schengen Agreements, we entered a new Europe,” he recalls.

“As you know, Schengen is a Luxembourgish commune which is located between France and Germany. It was not easy to go to our French or German neighbours. There had always been checks at border posts. But with the creation of the Schengen area, there were no more checks. This is a good thing,” the mayor asserts.

Later on, year after year, 19 other countries signed the treaty, thus becoming part of the Schengen Zone, named after a village located in Luxembourg, where the agreement was first signed.

25 years after, the Schengen Area is in a situation in which its founding members have never foreseen it to be. Not even the current leaders, may have thought three months ago that the reintroduction of the Schengen borders could so easily be triggered by a deadly virus spread all over the earth.

With borders all over the place, strict travel and entry measures, its 25th anniversary has found the Schengen Area closer to its suspension than ever.

No Celebrations on the 26 Grim Anniversary of Schengen Deal – Only Closed Borders

The EU has cancelled all activities that were planned to be held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of abolishing the first borders within the Schengen Zone.

With Europe now announced as an epicentre of the COVID-19 by the World Health Organization, the majority of borders have been reintroduced, whereas a few of the member countries have gone in full lockdown, restricting entry into their own territory even for other EU citizens.

Previously on March 16, the European Commission had proposed the full closure of the external EU and Schengen borders, which the council supported the following day. The Member States gradually started applying border closure at the external land, air and sea borders, in compliance with the decision of the EU commission, announced later on March 17. Only the UK and Ireland, opted out.

Today, almost every Schengen country applies border controls at the internal borders as a way to contain the further spread of the virus.

The last days of March find Schengen with the following borders in place: Temporarily reintroduced border controls in the context of cases requiring immediate action:

Spain (March 27 – April 11 2020) Coronavirus COVID-19; all land borders.

(March 27 – April 11 2020) Coronavirus COVID-19; all land borders. Germany (March 26 – April 15 2020) Coronavirus COVID-19; land and air borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Denmark, Italy and Spain, sea border with Denmark.

(March 26 – April 15 2020) Coronavirus COVID-19; land and air borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Denmark, Italy and Spain, sea border with Denmark. Norway (March 26 – April 15 2020) Coronavirus COVID-19; all internal borders.

(March 26 – April 15 2020) Coronavirus COVID-19; all internal borders. Portugal (March 26 – April 15 2020) COVID-19; land border with Spain.

(March 26 – April 15 2020) COVID-19; land border with Spain. Switzerland (March 25 2020 – April 4 2020) COVID-19; all air borders except from air borders with Liechtenstein. (March 18 2020 – April 17 2020) COVID-19; air borders with Spain, Italy, France, Germany and Austria. (March 16 – April 15 2020) COVID-19; land borders with France and Austria; (March 13 – April 12 2020) COVID-19; land border with Italy.



Lithuania (March 24 – April 13 2020) COVID-19; all internal borders.

Belgium (March 20 – March 30 2020) Coronavirus COVID-19; all internal borders.

(March 20 – March 30 2020) Coronavirus COVID-19; all internal borders. Austria (March 18 – April 7 2020) Coronavirus COVID-19; land borders with Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

(March 18 – April 7 2020) Coronavirus COVID-19; land borders with Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Estonia (March 17 – April 15 2020) COVID-19; all internal borders.

(March 17 – April 15 2020) COVID-19; all internal borders. Hungary (March 17 – April 11 2020) COVID-19; land borders with Slovenia, Austria and Slovakia, all air borders.

(March 17 – April 11 2020) COVID-19; land borders with Slovenia, Austria and Slovakia, all air borders. Poland (March 15 – March 24 2020) COVID-19; land borders with Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Lithuania, sea borders, air borders.

(March 15 – March 24 2020) COVID-19; land borders with Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Lithuania, sea borders, air borders. Czech Republic (March 14 – April 4 2020) COVID-19; land borders with Austria and Germany, air borders.

Temporarily reintroduced border controls in the context of foreseeable events:

Finland (March 19 – April 13 2020) COVID-19; all internal borders.

(March 19 – April 13 2020) COVID-19; all internal borders. Norway (November 12 2019 – May 12 2020) Terrorist threats, secondary movements; ports with ferry connections with Denmark, Germany and Sweden.

(November 12 2019 – May 12 2020) Terrorist threats, secondary movements; ports with ferry connections with Denmark, Germany and Sweden. Sweden (November 12 2019 – May 12 2020) Terrorist threats, shortcomings at the external borders; to be determined but may concern all internal borders.

(November 12 2019 – May 12 2020) Terrorist threats, shortcomings at the external borders; to be determined but may concern all internal borders. Denmark (November 12 2019 – May 12 2020) COVID-19; all internal borders.

(November 12 2019 – May 12 2020) COVID-19; all internal borders. Germany (November 12 2019 – May 12 2020) Secondary movements, situation at the external borders; land border with Austria.

(November 12 2019 – May 12 2020) Secondary movements, situation at the external borders; land border with Austria. Austria (November 12 2019 – May 12 2020) Secondary movements, risk related to terrorists and organized crime, situation at the external borders; land borders with Hungary and with Slovenia;

(November 12 2019 – May 12 2020) Secondary movements, risk related to terrorists and organized crime, situation at the external borders; land borders with Hungary and with Slovenia; France (October 31 2019 – April 30 2020) Persistent terrorist threat, upcoming high-profile political event in Paris, secondary movements; all internal borders.

MEPs Call for EU Countries to Keep Internal Borders Open

The reintroduced internal borders were criticized last week by members of the European Parliament, during the first vote of the extraordinary plenary to deal with COVID-19 urgency measures.

The MEPs have urged the EU states for a more unified response to the health crisis, and to keep internal borders open calling for enhanced solidarity among member states to tackle the challenges and long-term EU measures to mitigate the economic impact and for more investment in research.

During the parliamentary session, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on the member states to stop putting barriers on each other emphasizing the need for preserving the single market.

“A crisis without borders cannot be resolved by putting barriers between us…And yet, this is exactly the first reflex that many European countries have: this simply makes no sense – because there’s not one single member state that can meet its own needs when it comes to vital medical supplies and equipment. Not one,” she said.

Esteban González Pons from the EPP, ES also called for the free flow of medical equipment and goods to be guaranteed. He called for political systems to be maintained, investment into research, and solidarity among European leaders whose “European spirit is failing.”

Whereas Dominique Riquet from Renew supported steps against empty flights and said well-organized supply chains are the means to stabilize Europe and fight the deadly disease.

“I want this aphorism to apply to Europe and its citizens: whatever does not kill us will make us stronger,” he concluded.

Macron to EU Leaders: We Are Facing the Death of Schengen

The President of France, Emanuel Macron, has been one of the most active voices calling against the reintroduction of internal border checks, accusing the member states of acting unilaterally.

Last week throughout videoconference on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic with other leaders of the Schengen Member Countries, President Macron raged at the leaders insisting that the European Union’s borderless zone could be at danger if the nations fail to show solidarity.

“What’s at stake is the survival of the European project,” Macron said during the videconference.

“The risk we are facing is the death of Schengen,” Macron added during the six-hour videoconference of the leaders, in which were discussed the outbreak’s repercussions on the bloc’s economy.

President Macron was the first of the EU leaders to announce that the EU and Schengen Borders would seal off for foreign travellers as a measure to contain the disease.

“We are in a health war,” he’d said in an attempt highlighting the severity of the situation.

Luxembourg Calls for Open Borders

The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, of the country where the Schengen Agreement signing took place, and after the small town of which the agreement has been named, has called for open borders.

According to a statement released by this ministry to mark the milestone, the achievement is now being put to the test due to closed borders. However, he recalled that implementing the rules of the Schengen Area means removing internal border controls and therefore strengthening external border controls.

The Minister is quoted to have said that Luxembourg has been doing everything to facilitate the movement of cross-border workers and to ensure the continued transport of essential goods.

According to him, the lives of many EU citizens depend on the unhindered transit of workers, citizens being repatriated, essential medical supplies and goods.

“We need solidarity more than ever, and the rules of the Schengen area provide the framework for cooperation which will enable us to face this unprecedented challenge together. Therefore, I call upon all to restore Schengen without delay. The reintroduction of border controls at our common borders can only be occasional and temporary and must be done in accordance with the Treaties,” he said.

Minister Asselborn concluded by describing the Schengen Agreement as an “essential” element “to our solidarity and prosperity” and one that must be “preserved”.