Source: European Parliament
1. The Commission considers that the new Schengen Evaluation Regulation[1] offers a meaningful and important tool to ensure an effective response to situations that may impact the functioning of the Schengen area, including fundamental rights violations.
2. Since 2022, the Commission has carried out several unannounced visits. These visits revealed that while the required 24-hour notification may allow authorities to prepare, this does not compromise the integrity and effectiveness of the unannounced visit. For example, in one case, serious deficiencies in the quality of border management were identified.
3. The Commission has strengthened the Schengen governance framework to ensure robust monitoring of the Schengen acquis. This includes increased scrutiny of Member States through verification visits, with reinforced oversight by the Schengen Council through regular exchanges on key priorities identified for each Schengen cycle, supported by the Schengen Coordinator and tools, such as the Schengen Barometer+ and Scoreboard. The reinforced governance framework seeks to address the most pressing needs by making the most of the existing resources, by strengthening operational scrutiny, promoting more active political engagement, and fostering synergies at all levels, including with EU agencies.
- [1] Council Regulation (EU) 2022/922 of 9 June 2022 on the establishment and operation of an evaluation and monitoring mechanism to verify the application of the Schengen acquis, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013, OJ L 160, 15.6.2022, p. 1-27.