Shengen

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Schengen Report
The introduction of the Schengen agreement has drastically changed the way European countries interact. The factors contributing to this relatively new policy can be overwhelming and hard to grasp for people outside of Europe. The goal of this report is to provide the necessary information to facilitate a better understanding for those not familiar with Schengen. This report will include a brief history and description of Schengen, the participating countries, key issues, and some of the various policies and programs within the agreement like the Schengen Information System (SIS). It will also discuss some of the issues faced by non-Schengen countries like Switzerland. The combination of these elements will provide and overview of the role Schengen plays in the EU and its future.
Introductory stages of a policy that would eliminate border controls within the European Union Began in the early 1980’s. Members of the EU began discussing a potential policy that would allow Europeans free movement within a set of specified countries. On June 14, 1985, five countries went outside the EU debates and signed an agreement that was titled the “Schengen Convention on the Progressive Abolition of Controls at Common Borders.” The town of Schengen, where the agreement was hatched, is located in Luxembourg, where the borders of Luxembourg, France and Germany all come together. The initial agreement included Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, which was considered the original “Schengen area.” This meant that participating countries would work together to create common borders without border checks when entering Schengen countries. This would allow the free movement of people and goods within the specified Schengen area, although extensive border checks would still be mandatory where participating countries border with non-Schengen countries. “Schengen allows the open movement of people ...