France among countries recommended to end internal Schengen border checks
Introduction of EES reduces need for checks, believes European Commission
Police can conduct checks at several internal EU borders, including France
Iryna Pavliuk/Shutterstock
France is among several countries asked by the EU to end internal border checks with neighbouring member states.
The European Commission made the comments on June 2, after several countries had such internal checks in place for at least a year.
The Commission states that the Entry/Exit System (EES) is strengthening security measures on those entering the bloc, reducing the need for internal checks that can impact the bloc’s cohesion.
It highlights the importance of freedom of movement between member states in the Schengen area.
“Schengen is one of Europe’s greatest achievements. It symbolises freedom of movement for over 450 million people,” said Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy at the Commission Henna Virkkunen.
“Our opinions send a clear message: where controls are reintroduced, they must remain temporary and exceptional.”
France has border controls with six EU countries
France, alongside fellow states Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway [EEA and Schengen area member but not EU state], Slovenia and Sweden all have internal border checks in place with some or all neighbouring EU/EEA countries.
While the Schengen area operates on the principle of freedom of movement between nations, under EU rules states can temporarily implement internal border checks if they believe there is a genuine security risk.
This allows customs officials, border police, and general police units to patrol borders, stopping individuals entering the country across an EU border and asking for proof of identification.
Checks can be random (stopping a percentage of travellers passing through) or targeted, and cover land, sea, and air crossings.
They can be implemented for a six-month period before needing to be renewed by authorities.
If internal border checks are introduced for more than a year by a country, the European Commission must issue an official opinion on their validity and future.
France introduced land, sea, and air checks with all neighbouring states in November 2024, renewing them several times.
They are currently set to end on November 1, 2026, meaning they will be in place for a minimum of two years.
France itself is impacted by internal border checks by German police, which are currently scheduled to remain in place until at least September 15, 2026.
You can read what documents are needed in our article here.
Note that Poland also has internal border checks in place until at least October 2026, but has not been asked by the Commission to lift these, which possibly relates to the fact it also has borders with non-EU countries including Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, and is a hotspot for people being denied entry to the EU.
EES will reduce issues
“The reintroduction of controls at the internal border inevitably has consequences for neighbouring member states. Where internal border controls are reintroduced, it is crucial that member states take steps to limit any negative consequence on cross border commuters and communities,” the Commission said.
The Commission believes that many of the internal borders are damaging the bloc, and are now becoming obsolete due to the EES, which digitally tracks all visitors entering and leaving the Schengen area.
“The Entry-Exit System… and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), will enhance oversight of movements across the EU's external borders, significantly improving the monitoring of who enters and leaves the Union and when and where crossings are taking place,” it added.
By reducing the number of people illegally crossing the external border, EES should reduce the need for checks between Schengen states.
Instead of internal border controls, the Commission is urging alternative policies, including non-systematic police checks, mobile biometric identification, and vehicle tracking technologies.
While internal borders can only typically be introduced for a maximum of two years, rules allow for an extension when a country “considers that there is a major exceptional situation with regard to a persisting serious threat justifying the continued need for border control at internal borders.”
It means that for Germany and France, border checks may continue past this two-year mark, before being phased out.
The EU will discuss phasing out the controls with member states, but has not provided a time frame for a definitive end.
