40 Years of the Schengen Agreement – EC Library Guide: EU resources

A selection of EU resources on the outlook of the Schengen Agreements¹

(In chronological order)

State of Schengen report 2025

European Commission, COM(2025) 185 final from 23 April 2025.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

Fourth State of Schengen report on 40 years of profound benefits for all EU citizens (source: European Commission, press release, 23 April 2025)
State of Schengen report 2024

European Commission, COM(2024) 173 final of 16 April 2024.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
Commission publishes Schengen report setting new priorities for the year ahead.
Reintroduction of internal border controls and impact on Schengen area

European Parliament, EPRS European Parliamentary Research Service, Costica Dumbrava, At a Glance, PE 762.418, 2024.

To ensure a fully functioning Schengen area, the EU has recently revised the Schengen rules and governance. The reform has yet to produce tangible results.
State of Schengen report 2023

European Commission, COM(2023) 274 final of 16 Mai 2023.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
An assessment of the state of the EU Schengen area and its external borders: A merited trust model to uphold Schengen legitimacy

European Parliament: Directorate-General for Internal Policies of the Union, Carrera, S., Colombi, D. and Cortinovis, R., European Parliament, 2023.

This Study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the LIBE Committee, assesses the state of play of the EU Schengen area and the latest legal and policy developments with direct relevance to the Schengen acquis.

Executive summary
State of Schengen Report 2022

European Commission, COM(2022) 301 final from 24 Mai 2022.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
...the Commission is presenting the State of Schengen Report 2022. This is the first time the Commission is presenting such report, following last year's Schengen Strategy.
Schengen reform: Key challenges and proposals

European Parliament, EPRS European Parliamentary Research Service, Costica Dumbrava, Briefing PE 733.599, 2022.

The Schengen area without internal borders has been under stress over the past decade owing to several successive crises, including the sudden arrival of large numbers of people across the EU's external borders, persistent threats to internal security, and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Adapting Schengen to evolving challenges

European Commission: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, Publications Office of the European Union, 2021.
EU information systems supporting border control: A strong tool, but more focus needed on timely and complete data, special report No 20, 2019

European Court of Auditors, Publications Office, 2019.

The abolishment of border checks at the internal Schengen borders reinforced the importance of effective control and surveillance of the Schengen area external borders. To help border guards control these, the EU has set up a number of information systems. Our audit examined whether the main EU information systems for internal security support border controls efficiently.
The Schengen Area

European Commission: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, Publications Office, 2018.

Special Eurobarometer, 474.
The future of the Schengen Area: Latest developments and challenges in the Schengen governance framework since 2016

European Parliament: Directorate-General for Internal Policies of the Union, Stefan, M., Chun Luk, N., Vosyliūtė, L. and Carrera, S., European Parliament, 2018.

This Study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE-Committee), takes stock of the main developments that have occurred in the Schengen Governance Framework since 2016. It analyses the legitimacy of a number of States’ decisions to maintain internal border controls. Also, most recent policy proposals in the field of internal police checks are assessed in light of relevant EU legal standards. The paper also questions the legality of the border walls and fences, which have been recently erected at the EU external borders and within the Schengen area.