Schengen Agreement | Schengen Area - All about Schengen

1. Schengen Agreement - Schengen Area

2. We’ve all heard of the term ‘Schengen’. But, how did it invented? Well, the story traces all the way back to the year 1995 on a houseboat on a river near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg where 5 European nations met and signed a treaty called the Schengen agreement. What is Schengen Agreement? Signed on June 14, 1985, in the city of Schengen in Luxembourg, the Schengen agreement is a treaty focused on making entire Europe without internal borders. Initially signed by 5 member states of the EU (European Union), this was followed by the Schengen. The area containing the ​Schengen agreement countries is known as the Schengen Area, and act as if they are a single state. The follow-up agreement signed at the Schengen convention has removed any border control between the member states by developing a common visa for the entire zone known as the ​Schengen visa​. The countries under the Schengen visa agreement include 22 EU countries and 4 non-EU countries, making it the world’s largest visa-free zone. Schengen Convention The Schengen agreement signed in 1985 was implemented at the Schengen convention that took place in 1990. It was a follow-up to the 1985 agreement and proposed that complete internal borders were abolished, and the common Schengen visa was initiated. Every EU(European Union) country at the time, except the UK and Ireland, were a part of the Schengen Convention in 1990. However, the agreement signed at the convention finally took effect in 1995.

3. History of Schengen ● A Borderless Europe Despite the fact that the history of Schengen agreement is quite recent, the dream for a borderless Europe can be traced back to the early World War years. The after-effects of WWII in Europe had severely left the trade and economy devastated. This all the more increased the needs for ease of transport and travel between the European nations. In fact, the first smell of a borderless Europe was established by the Treaty of Rome in 1957 where the EEC (European Economic Community) countries signed an agreement that allowed people to cross borders with just a passport and a national ID. ● The Schengen Agreement Eventually, in 1985, officials from Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany met near the town of Luxembourg on a boat in the river Moselle to sign the Schengen treaty which focused on removing border controls and allowing people to cross borders away from fixed checkpoints. In fact, three of the countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg had already abolished borders as a part of the BENELUX. ● The Schengen Convention A major role in the Schengen agreement history is the Schengen convention in 1990. This convention created what we know as the Schengen area and introduced a common visa for travellers, total judicial cooperation between the member states, and the Schengen Information System (SIS). All the then EU (European Union) countries

4. apart from the UK and Ireland were a part of this. However, despite this, the Schengen was not a part of the EU. Later that year, Italy joined the Schengen agreement. ● The Implementation In the year 1991, Portugal and Spain made their decision to join the Schengen, followed by Greece in 1992. The Schengen Convention was finally implemented in the year 1995 with 7 countries abolishing their internal borders - France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Spain and Portugal. The year also saw Austria join the agreement, succeeded by Denmark, Finland, and Sweden in 1996. Although all the members of the Schengen were a part of the EU, in 1996, two non-EU countries of Norway and Iceland became the first members to join the Schengen. ● The Treaty of Amsterdam Another major milestone in the history of Schengen is the year 1997. This marked the establishment of the Amsterdam treaty where the EU took in the Schengen. As per this agreement, the Schengen agreement became a part of the EU legal framework. But at the same time, they agreed for opt-outs to remain for the UK and Ireland. The rule was legally implemented in 1999. Members of Schengen Area As of 2019, there are 26 official members of Schengen area. Out of this, 22 are officially a part of the EU (European Union) and the 4 are non-EU. Despite the fact that the Schengen is a part of the legal framework of the EU, the EU countries of the UK and Ireland are not part of the Schengen as they have been recognised as opt-outs. The current Schengen agreement members include EU states of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and non-EU states of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

5. ● Members outside the EU Despite being located outside the continent of Europe, the Portuguese territories of Azores, Madeira, and the Spanish territory of the Canary Islands are the only countries that are considered as both the members of the EU and a part of the Schengen Zone. ● Non-Schengen “Schengen” Members Along with the Carribean Islands of France, the European microstates of San Marino, Monaco, Vatican City, and Andorra are officially not a part of the Schengen area map, but are ​de facto ​considered as Schengen. Meaning, even though they are not a legal Schengen state, they act as one and have open or semi-open borders with the Schengen area. ● Potential Schengen Members Apart from these, there are a few countries which, despite being a part of the EU, are classified as ‘potential Schengen area countries’. These countries are set to be a part of the Schengen area provided that they meet the strict level of eligibility criteria. Currently, they have been put on hold due to unresolved political and regional conflicts such as illegal migration, corruption issues, and so on. On successfully solving these issues, and meeting the conditions, they will become a part of the Schengen.