As the Schengen Agreement marks its 40th anniversary, European leaders have issued a formal declaration reaffirming their commitment to the continent’s border-free travel area, even as renewed internal border checks across the zone raise questions about its future resilience.
At a commemorative ceremony aboard the Princesse Marie Astrid on the Moselle River—the very ship where the agreement was signed on 14 June 1985—Luxembourg’s Home Affairs Minister Léon Gloden welcomed counterparts and senior EU officials. The gathering included Poland’s Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, representing the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, and European Commissioners Henna Virkkunen and Magnus Brunner.
Gloden declared Luxembourg’s “clear and firm support” for Schengen, emphasising its role as a foundation of European integration. “Schengen is not a finished product,” he said, “it is a living project that depends on our vigilance, collaboration, and a firm belief in a Europe without barriers.” He also reiterated Luxembourg’s opposition to internal border checks, describing them as disruptive to cross-border communities and incompatible with the spirit of European unity.
The ceremony coincided with the adoption of the Schengen Declaration by the Council of the European Union. The text affirms a shared commitment to maintaining the area without internal borders, strengthening external border controls, and improving the fight against illegal migration, terrorism, and cross-border crime.
“We have come together on the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen Agreement to highlight our common commitment to Europe’s security,” Siemoniak stated. “We are determined to work together and foster mutual trust, so that present and future generations of Europeans can continue to enjoy the benefits of the Schengen area.”
The declaration sets out seven core commitments aimed at reinforcing Schengen’s viability:
Preserving fundamental values of dignity, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law within a single area of freedom and justice;
Maintaining free movement as a basic right and ensuring internal border controls remain a measure of last resort;
Enhancing law enforcement cooperation, including through shared IT infrastructure and interagency coordination;
Managing external borders and return procedures humanely and efficiently;
Reinforcing cooperation with third countries on visa policy and readmission;
Upholding mutual trust between member states;
Investing in the Schengen system through funding, innovation, and strategic foresight.
Despite these formal pledges, Schengen faces mounting challenges. According to recent data, 11 of the 29 Schengen members—including Germany, France, Austria, and the Netherlands—have reinstated internal border checks, citing security threats, irregular migration, or health risks. Germany, in particular, has drawn criticism for its unilateral decision last September to block asylum-seekers arriving from Luxembourg, prompting a formal complaint from the Grand Duchy to the European Commission.
Speaking in Schengen, Gloden expressed concern over the lack of consultation. “Our position is clear: we reject internal border controls within the EU,” he said. “It is essential to dismantle borders in people’s minds, not rebuild them.”
The German Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, did not attend the commemoration, citing prior domestic obligations. His absence was noted amid ongoing tensions over cross-border policy enforcement.
Nonetheless, the declaration signals a concerted effort by EU member states to preserve the Schengen model. The Council described Schengen as the world’s largest free movement area, enabling seamless mobility for over 450 million Europeans, facilitating more than €4.1 trillion in intra-EU trade, and attracting 40% of global tourism.
European Commissioner Magnus Brunner reinforced the need for pragmatic cooperation. “Keeping Schengen going and growing is made possible only by building a finely tuned support system with strong police cooperation and effective border protection,” he said.
The origins of Schengen date back to 1985, when Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands signed an agreement to gradually abolish internal border controls. This process was formalised through the 1990 Schengen Convention, which entered into force in 1995. The area has since expanded to include 29 countries, comprising all EU members except Ireland and Cyprus, as well as non-EU states such as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
Despite its imperfections, many observers argue that Schengen remains essential to the European project. As Raphael Bossong of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs notes, the problem lies not in the framework itself but in political fragmentation. “Schengen is not inherently unfit for purpose,” he argues, “but it is being rendered so by a lack of political fidelity.”
The 40th anniversary, then, is not only a moment of reflection but one of reckoning. Whether Schengen can continue to function as a unified space will depend not just on declarations, but on concrete coordination and trust among its members. For now, Luxembourg and the Council of the EU have made clear that the political will to uphold Schengen endures—though the pressures testing it remain formidable.
