Free movement – the right to live, study, work and retire anywhere in the EU – is possibly the most tangible achievement of European integration. With the establishment of the Schengen area in 1995, checks were abolished at the EU’s internal borders.
Today, the Schengen area includes most EU countries, except for Ireland, which maintains an opt-out and operates its own common travel area with the UK, as well as Cyprus, which is currently undergoing the evaluation process to assess its readiness to join the area.
Four non-EU countries – Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein – have also joined the Schengen area.
Enlargement of Schengen
On 10 November 2022, Parliament backed Croatia’s accession to the Schengen area before the end of 2022. On 1 January 2023, Croatia joined the Schengen area.
In July 2023, Parliament called on the Council to approve Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen zone by the end of 2023. The resolution stressed that both countries have already fulfilled the necessary requirements to be admitted.
On 30 December 2023, EU countries decided unanimously to give the green light for the removal of border controls with Bulgaria and Romania at the EU’s internal air and maritime borders as of 31 March 2024. Talks on the lifting of checks at land borders are expected to continue in 2024.