15 Facts About Schengen Area

1.

Schengen Area is an area comprising 26 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders.

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2.

States in the Schengen Area have strengthened border controls with non-Schengen countries.

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3.

Schengen Area Agreement was signed on 14 June 1985 by five of the ten EC member states in the town of Schengen Area, Luxembourg.

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4.

The Schengen Area was established separately from the European Communities, when consensus could not be reached among all EC member states on the abolition of border controls.

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5.

Procedure to enter the Schengen Area is that European Commission evaluates certain criteria.

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6.

Bulgaria's and Romania's bids to join the Schengen Area were approved by the European Parliament in June 2011 but rejected by the Council of Ministers in September 2011, with the Dutch and Finnish governments citing concerns about shortcomings in anti-corruption measures and in the fight against organised crime.

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7.

Fajon criticized the European Commission for recommending Croatia's entry into the Schengen area, stating that "there is no information that Croatia is ready "and that "Croatia does not protect its borders sufficiently, " and even suggested that the European Commission decision was a political one based on the friendship between the European Commission president Juncker and Croatian Prime Minister Plenkovic.

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8.

In early June 2022, Slovenian President Borut Pahor suggested that the border dispute would not result in the blockade of Croatia's Schengen Area bid, citing Foreign Minister Fajon's statement that border arbitration is not tied to Schengen Area entry.

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9.

Schengen Area laws are administered as if it were part of the EU as a result of bilateral agreements with France, and Schengen Area visas are accepted.

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10.

Schengen Area member state is permitted to reinstate border controls with another Schengen Area member state for a short period where there is a serious threat to that state's "public policy or internal security" or when the "control of an external border is no longer ensured due to exceptional circumstances".

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11.

Schengen Area rules require that all carriers conveying passengers across the Schengen Area external border must check, before boarding, that passengers have the correct travel documents and visas required for entry.

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12.

Rules applicable to short-term entry visas into the Schengen Area are set out in EU regulations which contain two lists: a list of the nationalities which require a visa for a short-term stay and a list which do not .

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13.

Schengen Area Agreement allows police officers from one participating state to follow suspects across borders both in hot pursuit and to continue observation operations, and for enhanced mutual assistance in criminal matters.

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14.

Schengen Area Convention contained measures intended to streamline extradition between participating countries however these have now been subsumed into the European Arrest Warrant system.

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15.

Schengen Area originally had its legal basis outside the then European Economic Community, having been established by a sub-set of member states of the Community using two international agreements:.

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